Bound by Lock and Key
by Ayumu Foxtail-chan
Summary: A fiery red key on her bed was how it started; the key that would ultimately change everything. Because deep down beneath the Heartfilia mansion is a secret; one that involves a boy she had no idea existed, even though he claims to have been in love with her for years. Lucy'll soon find that her family's empire and the world around her isn't as safely ordinary as she once believed.
1. The Key

**Hi there and welcome to my story! I'm oddly excited about this, although maybe it's because I have a tendency to come up with ideas and write them at three in the morning when I'm a giggly sleep-deprived mess. Or maybe not. Who knows. XD**

**This _will _be an AU by the way.**

**Enjoy!**

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_**Chapter 1: The Key**_

"Miss Lucy?" A few knocks hesitantly sounded on the oaken door to Lucy's room. She ignored them, instead grumbling incoherently to herself in annoyance and pulling the covers over her head. It was too early to face all she had to do during the day. The knocks rapped on the door again, followed by a louder, "Miss Lucy?"

Lucy sunk further in her bed, her mind going over and over again all she had to do. Today was July seventh, and it had to be the busiest day of the year. She had four, count them _four _events to attend. She couldn't even remember what they were for. Of course she was obligated to attend them, as they were for her family and she was the one everyone seemed to want to see. The Heartfilia heir, yes, they all wanted to see her.

The Heartfilia Empire stretched across nearly the entire region, and Jude and Lucy were the only figureheads for it. Lucy wasn't even quite sure what she was considered. She was the heir, but she sorely doubted her father would want her taking over the leadership of the region. Undoubtedly he'd want her to find a husband who could "properly" lead their people. Sometimes she joked to herself that she was a princess, of course that wasn't' true, princesses were only in stories.

"Miss Lucy!" the voice shouted this time and she grunted loudly. Today was going to be awful; all day bound up in fancy dresses, forced to smile and nod when her father's acquaintances talked with her; the final straw being the fact that it was supposed to be _her _day. July seventh was her birthday, and yet every year it seemed to go unnoticed by everyone, aside from of course, the woman currently calling for her to get up.

Lucy couldn't help but smile to herself. Even if everyone missed her special day, Virgo, her maid, always remembered. "Come in," Lucy called with a sigh, throwing the covers down so she could eye the doorway carefully.

"Good morning," a sweet voice nearly sang as the door creaked open slowly, revealing a young pink-haired woman in a maid's outfit. She was carrying a large stack of fabric and Lucy's stomach sank again. That dress looked even tighter than yesterday's. She dreaded July; it was the month Jude dedicated to meeting up with the leaders of other regions. Every single day of the month was full or torturous events and parties and meetings that Lucy was afraid she'd fall asleep during. She had no idea how her father would react to that, but it surely wouldn't be well.

"Morning Virgo," Lucy sighed, sitting up in bed and slumping over, a stray yawn escaping from her lips.

Virgo gave her a smile, "I know it's early but your father wanted you up and dressed. He said there'll be people over soon."

Lucy sighed in compliance and slipped out of bed, stretching, a few bones in her back crackling. "When will it all be over?"

Virgo shook her head and tossed the flowing gown onto Lucy's bed. "I'm not sure exactly, but I'd say close to midnight. They'll all go home and you'll be able to sleep in peace."

"And I'll have to get up and do it again tomorrow, won't I," Lucy droned, rolling her eyes before quickly pulling her pajama shirt over her head.

Virgo frowned, "Yes, you will. But Miss Lucy shouldn't be so sad today." A smile curled the maid's lips. "Happy Birthday, dear."

Lucy smiled back at the woman and nodded, slipping off her shorts and holding out a hand for the dress. "Thanks. How much you wanna bet that's the only time I hear that today?" she asked, taking the pale pink silk dress when Virgo handed it to her.

"Oh don't be that way, Miss Lucy," Virgo tsked, "Your father might forget it, but today is one of our favorite days."

Lucy nodded to herself as she slipped on the dress. Yes, the help always remembered, and she was grateful. She figured that if her maids and butlers remembered, and her father didn't, that perhaps they were more fit to be her family.

"By the way, I got you a present!" Virgo added quickly as Lucy shimmied the dress on, turning her back to Virgo so she could fasten the small ties on the back of the dress.

Lucy raised an eyebrow and tipped her head just enough so she could see Virgo out of the corner of her eye as she felt the maids' hands on her back. "Really? You didn't need to."

Virgo's eyes flitted up to Lucy's head before looking back down to the dress, "I know. I wanted to." Lucy opened her mouth to protest but Virgo shushed her. "Just accept it, honey."

Lucy pursed her lips but nodded, turning forward again and steadying her focus on the wall. Virgo was quick with her work, easily threading Lucy's ties across her back in an intricate pattern, pulling every once in a while to tighten them and causing Lucy to grit her teeth.

"There you go," Virgo said after a moment, patting Lucy on the shoulder and stepping away. "You look good, aside from your hair…," she said with a smirk.

Lucy reluctantly tipped her head toward the mirror on her dresser and groaned at the mess of blonde locks on her head, frizzy and sticking out in all directions.

Virgo chuckled, "Don't' worry, Cancer'll have you covered. But first, here," she said, stepping forward and handing Lucy a small white box tied with a blue ribbon.

Lucy took it and slowly pulled the bow undone as Virgo bounced on her toes excitedly. She pulled off the lid and on a small bit of tissue inside sat a silver chain-link bracelet. It was plain and simple and yet beautiful all at the same time. Lucy smiled to herself, pulling the bracelet out of the box and slipping it onto her right wrist.

"You like it?" Virgo asked, nodding excitedly.

Lucy grinned, "Of course I like it. I _love _it," she said, marveling down at the small piece of jewelry. She'd received everything she'd ever wanted growing up, and yet it was the small things such as this that she treasured the most.

Virgo clapped twice and sighed, "Good I'm glad. I remember when you were little and I used to wear those chains that you thought they were the neatest things. A little trip down memory lane," she smiled before sending Lucy a wink. "Well, anyway, good luck Miss Lucy. Cancer will be in here soon then you'll be off for the day."

"Don't remind me," Lucy groaned as Virgo sashayed out of the room, giving her another smile before the door closed with a click.

Just as Virgo had said Cancer arrived only a few minutes later, entering in a whirlwind and doing her hair just as quickly. She'd hoped something would happen that would postpone her arrival downstairs, and yet Cancer had worked just as fast as he usually did, styling her hair with skill and then leaving with nothing more than an, "_Happy Birthday, Ebi."_ before leaving.

She was then ushered downstairs when her father called for her loudly, his booming voice echoing off of the marble floors and high ceilings. She'd taken a deep breath to steady herself before quickly slipping on a pair of shoes and exiting her room, hiking up her dress to walk down the grandiose staircase.

Once she'd arrived in the entryway she saw her father was already present, ordering butlers this way and that while standing in a pristinely clean suit. He'd looked up for only a moment when Lucy entered the room before going back to his orders.

When everyone seemed to know what they were supposed to be doing he finally turned his attention to his daughter. He straightened his suit, quickly briefing her on what would be happening. The first gathering was to be in their ballroom, and was a welcoming to the Prime Minister of Hargeon. Jude had lectured her endlessly on how she was to act, what she was to say, and what she was not to say. She was to be nice to everyone, bow when her name was said, and of course keep an eye out for any males that might suit her tastes.

Lucy had bitten back an eye roll at that comment. Her father was ready to marry her off so he'd have a more adept and educated heir to the fortune and region. Lucy was pretty, and made a good picture for the Heartfilia Empire, but in all reality she wasn't suited to run anything. And she didn't want to.

Jude had glared her up and down before approving of her appearance, nodding toward her wrist and telling her the only thing that didn't pass was the 'god-awful' bracelet she was wearing. It'd taken all Lucy had to not snap back at him, but instead she nodded, slipping off the bracelet and when her father turned, she slipped it down the front of her dress. She knew he'd make her get rid of it if she couldn't find a place for it.

And that was when the exhaustion began. The staggeringly large front doors to the Heartfilia estate shuddered to life, creaking open as Jude quickly plastered on a smile and began welcoming his guests. It had been hectic from that moment forward.

Lucy, after the day was over, didn't remember much of what had happened. She'd tuned most of it out gladly, instead letting any conversation she'd had enter one ear and go out the other. She'd shaken hands with Prime Ministers and Presidents of nearby regions, she'd smiled and laughed with Secretaries and Treasurers, and most of all she'd tried to keep her distance from any man that her father might see fit for her.

She had no intention of marrying one of the stuffy and snobby men that were at the parties. They were only twenty and yet she swore she saw grey hairs on their heads. She had dreams of the day that someone would come into one of the events dressed casually and making fun of the snobbish things the people said. Yes, that would be the kind of guy she'd go for. But dreaming was childish.

The day had droned on for what seemed like eons to Lucy. Seconds ticked by at a record-setting slow pace, as she watched the hands on the large grandfather clock in the corner. But finally, after a lot of wishing on Lucy's part, the day had finally come to a close, her father calling out to the President of Balsam before finally closing the door to the mansion.

Lucy let out a breath and collapsed into a chair, eyeing her father sleepily as he let out a yawn of his own. He turned her way as the butlers again went rushing around from room to room, cleaning up any messes that the guests had made and straightening vases and paintings. Jude nodded toward her, "You behaved well. Get ready for tomorrow, we'll be traveling to Era and speaking about a large trade of land." Without another word he stalked out of the towering entryway and up to his bedroom.

His door closed with a slam and Lucy slouched further. At least it'd been only parties and meetings today. Tomorrow would be an exchange, one of the most boring things she could ever imagine. She figured if she didn't get to bed that she really _would _fall asleep during it.

She shoved out of her chair clumsily, kicking her shoes off and leaning over to pick them up. She swung them around her fingers as she padded up the staircase, the stone cold under her bare feet. The thought of her warm bed enticed and elated her so much that she began softly humming an unknown song to herself.

It'd been another birthday come and gone and nothing had been celebrated. Although by now she was used to it. It wasn't like the first few years when she'd sat in her room and cried. No, by now she expected it; in fact Virgo's present had been a welcome surprise. It sure was better than last year when she'd come down with the flu on top of it all.

She smiled to herself as she turned the knob to her room and stumbled inside. She closed the door quietly and tossed her shoes off to the side, pacing inside with a spring in her step. She was almost excited that her birthday had come and gone. It just meant one more day gone before the dreaded month of July was over.

She walked to the center of her room, her toes curling on the plush carpet as she looked out her grand window. The moon was shining down at her, the stars sparkling beautifully. As much as she wanted to go to bed, she was happier to sink to the ground, sitting criss-cross and staring up at the night sky.

The blues and blacks swirled together took her breath away. She'd always liked the night sky. Virgo as a child told her that that was where her mother was, and so she'd taken a liking to the sky ever since. She'd tried to memorize the placing of the stars, wondering which one was her mother. She took a deep breath, her eyes never wavering.

After of minutes that slowly turned to nearly an hour she finally reluctantly tore her gaze from the sky and instead looked over her room. It was her haven, in a way. It was the only little slice of the house that she could consider her own, and she'd take it. It was large enough in her opinion to stay in permanently, and if it weren't for her father's bellows she assumed she would.

She gazed over at her fluffy bed with longing, again reminding herself that the next day would be boring and that she should smarten up and hit the hay early.

Lucy squinted at her bed, suddenly noticing a small sparkle on its surface. She cocked her head to the side before scrambling up, slipping and sliding on her dress as she clumsily crawled over to her bed. She hadn't noticed the small red object on her mattress before, and wondered exactly how long it'd been sitting there.

When she reached her bed she quickly reached out and snatched it before turning it over in her hands. It was a key. A small red and shining key, only about the length of her index finger. She ran her finger up the blown glass surface, up the smooth pin. The bow of the key was what made her look a little closer. The glass twisted and turned, intertwining with each other and creating an intricate woven pattern. It was so small and delicate, that in a way she was afraid she'd break it.

A small and thin strip of tan silk was tied around the key, making it almost look as if it was meant as a necklace. And on the silk tie was taped a small scrap of paper. Lucy found it hard to take her eyes off of the key. It was otherworldly; its surface gleaming in a way that made her wonder if it was on fire. And whether it was her imagination or not, it felt warm in her hands, as if it was putting out a heat of its own.

Eventually she shook her head of the trance and turned the piece of paper over.

_'__Happy Birthday.'_

Lucy's head shot up, quickly looking from the window to the door. Who had given this to her? Surely it was one of the hired help, they were the only ones to ever do anything for her birthday, but everyone that she could think of had already wished her a happy birthday. Would they really give her a gift after already congratulating her?

She looked back down at the key and shook her head; her eyes shining as she again turned it over in her hands. She'd have to ask around to see who had given it to her so she could properly thank them. It was one of the most beautiful things she'd ever seen and even though she wasn't sure why, she was mesmerized by it.

As she smiled to herself, slowly bringing the key to her heart, contemplating who exactly would be the one to give her a gift like this, her guesses were miles away.

Because the person who had carefully placed the key on her bed was sitting on a cold stone floor hundreds of feet below the ground, listening to water drip and smiling to himself as if he could feel that she'd received his gift, and that she had liked it.

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**Oh boy. I hope it didn't seem too cliché. It'll stray off the path of 'spoiled rich girl goes to parties' starting next chapter, haha! NaLu is so cute. XD**

**I also apologize if Virgo was out of character. I just kinda wanted that one maid Lucy was close to, and who better than Virgo? So yes, her spirits are her helpers in this story. **

**Please please let me know what you thought of it! Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!**

**~Foxtail-chan**


	2. The Trade

**Hi there! Welcome to chapter two after a super long break. Sorry bout that. Heh. ^-^'  
Oh! And I meant to say that there _is _a reason that Virgo is calling Lucy "Miss Lucy" instead of "Princess". That'll come up... soon-ish. Tee hee. I'm so schemey when it comes to this story for some reason. XD  
**

**Anyway! Enjoy!**

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_**Chapter 2: The Trade**_

Straw hats. Whoever had invented them had been really angry at hair, Lucy decided. She stared blankly at her reflection in the mirror, mulling over ways she could make the hideous hat on her head look a little more attractive. She reached up and pulled it down on the left side, then the right, then the left, trying desperately to get it to tilt in a way that wouldn't make her look like an old farm wife.

"Ugh!" she groaned, grabbing the hat with both hands and pulling it down over her face. Her hair was a mess by now, she was sure. The straw had already gotten entangled in it and she dreaded the mess she'd be faced with if she took the hat off. Who had even picked this hat out for her, anyway? Wasn't she going to a trade meeting? Shouldn't she be dressing a little… nicer?

Lucy carefully peeled the hat off of her head, squinting and gritting her teeth as she felt the snap of multiple hairs being uprooted from her scalp. She tossed the hat onto her bed and frowned again at the mirror, running her fingers through her hair to comb out the knots. Cancer had already been up to her room once, but maybe she'd ask again.

There was a slight knock at the door before Virgo entered for nearly the fifth time in just an hour. "Miss Lucy I thought I told you to keep that thing on," Virgo reprimanded, pointing over at the hat and frowning deeply.

Lucy gave her an unamused look before reviving the task of combing her hair. "Why would I wear that? Why would I wear any of this? Aren't I going to a meeting about a trade of land or something like that?" she asked, looking her appearance over and nodding. She'd actually managed to tame her hair; Cancer wouldn't have to come back after all.

Virgo sighed with a slight smile. "I don't know. Your father ordered it, so I obeyed. Just enjoy a day off from all of those stuffy dresses," Virgo suggested.

Lucy bobbed her head. "Yeah, I guess you're right. What time is it?"

"About time for you to leave, tut tut, let's go," Virgo answered, holding her arms out toward the doorway.

Lucy nodded, prancing out the door and reveling in the feeling of wearing shoes without four inch heels -also known as death traps- for once. She was glad. It felt nice. Virgo hurried out behind her, closing the door with a thunk and motioning Lucy on ahead. "Your father's in a good mood today. Maybe the casual dress he allowed you to wear was a belated birthday present."

Lucy snorted. As if. Even if her father _did _happen to remember her birthday, she doubted he'd ever give her a present. He was in a good mood because he'd be securing a deal he'd been working on for months now. Although speaking of a birthday present. "Oh, Virgo!" Lucy stopped dead in her tracks, spinning around to face her maid, her sundress fanning out around her. "I meant to ask you if you knew who gave me the key on my bed last night! I'm guessing it was either a maid or a butler; do you know which one?"

Virgo cocked her head to the side and frowned. "A key? I'd never heard someone talking about giving you a key, no. Where is it? Are you sure it's a key?"

Lucy snorted. "Yes, I'm sure it's a _key,_" she huffed. Man, no one had faith that she wasn't a ditzy blonde; when would they learn? Lucy reached back behind her neck, slipping a finger underneath the tan silk string she was wearing as a necklace and gently pulling the key from underneath her dress. She swiveled it around to the front and cocked an eyebrow toward Virgo. "Seen it before?"

Virgo took in a deep gasp, clapping a hand to her mouth, her eyes turning to saucers. She was frozen there for a minute, staring wide-eyed at the sparkling red key in Lucy's hand. The key still felt warm to Lucy; although she had decided that it was only because she'd been wearing it under her clothing. Although its beauty still shocked her, even after she'd spent nearly an hour the past night staring at it.

"Miss Lucy!" Virgo hissed, her eyes shifting around the hallway quickly as if she was making sure no one had seen it.

"Wha-woah!" Lucy was promptly grabbed by the arm and yanked back into her room. She stumbled, barely catching her balance before the door slammed shut yet again behind Virgo. "What was that-"

"Where did you get that?" Virgo hissed again, her hands twitching and her chest heaving.

"I-It was on my bed last night," Lucy squeaked. "It said Happy Birthday so I thought it was a present. Why? What is it?" Lucy was suddenly very skeptical of the key, holding it as far away from her as the string around her neck would allow. What was wrong with it? It was just a key; what could be so surprising about it?

"It said, Happy Birthday?" Virgo repeated, confusion lacing through her tone.

Lucy gave her a confirmative nod. "Yeah, wh-" Lucy's question trailed off as Virgo began quickly pacing around the room, her shoes scuffing on the carpet loudly as she held a hand to her mouth, seemingly thinking about something very intensely. She suddenly stopped on a dime, whirling around to Lucy and pointing a finger toward her.

"You aren't supposed to have that. I'm very sorry Miss Lucy, but that was _not _a birthday present." Virgo stepped forward, holding out her hand for the key. Lucy retreated a step, confusion plaguing her. She couldn't remember the last time something had flustered Virgo. What was this? And it most certainly _was _a birthday present, the note had said so.

Lucy held the key close to her chest and shook her head. "It was a birthday present. I promise it was. Look." She dashed over to her nightstand, throwing open the top drawer and rummaging around inside before producing a tiny scrap of paper. She quickly gave it to Virgo and the maid stared down blankly at the parchment.

"There has to have been some mistake," Virgo muttered to herself. "This is not a present. Believe me, Miss Lucy. It's no present; you shouldn't have it." Again the maid held out her hand, asking for the key. Her face seemed desperate and for a moment Lucy faltered, contemplating if giving the key back really was the right thing to do.

No. Lucy shook her head. The key had been a present. Even if Virgo thought there was some mistake, Lucy didn't. That was a hand-written note, on her birthday. It had been meant for her. Not to mention that the key was extremely fascinating, and Lucy had every plan of wearing it. It was otherworldly gorgeous after all.

And then another thought crossed Lucy's mind. What if the key was more than just a piece of jewelry? What if it was a real key, a functioning key that had a matching door? Oh surely not. Something as flimsy as a glass key would break off in a lock.

"It's mine," Lucy said, her voice sounding suspiciously like a spoiled and frustrated child.

Virgo huffed. "Miss Lucy, you are not supposed to have that key. Jude would have my head."

"Have your head?" Lucy coughed. "What is it? Why doesn't Father want me to have it?"

Virgo clenched her jaw. "I cannot tell you that, Miss Lucy." She sounded almost pained; like she wanted nothing more than to tell Lucy exactly why Jude didn't want his daughter to have it.

Lucy's eye twitched. "I'm not giving it back." It was a statement. She wouldn't be swayed. She wasn't sure exactly what was tying her so tightly to the key, but she wanted it. She wanted the key; _her _key. The one that'd been given to her as birthday present on a day when no one else seemed to care. It was beautiful, unlike anything she'd ever seen and so she'd be dipped if she'd give it up, only a day after she'd received it.

Virgo and Lucy stared each other down; their gaze's steeled against the other's in a silent battle; a battle that went on and on, seconds ticking by slowly, Virgo's hand outstretched for the key and Lucy's hand clenching it tightly.

She was holding the key so tightly that the heated sensation emanating off of it seemed to grow hotter, her skin growing uncomfortably warm. But she wouldn't back down. It was almost silly, the two women standing and glaring at each other over a tiny necklace that one had only seen for the first time the day before, but both stood still, refusing to be budged.

Finally, after the seconds turned to cold hard minutes, Virgo sighed in defeat, lowering her arm and shaking her head. "Fine; keep it," she said with a huff before holding up a finger. "Just promise me you won't tell your Father. I'm not so sure he wouldn't literally murder me in my sleep," Virgo said with a faint smile. "Or fire me, which might be even worse."

Lucy's eyebrows pinched together but she nodded, slipping the key back underneath her dress and down as far as she could. It wouldn't be seen; at least not easily. "Alright," Lucy agreed. "But… what is it? Who gave it to me?" Lucy asked, stepping toward Virgo desperately. If there was something wrong with it, she wanted to know now.

Virgo shook her head. "Quite honestly, I don't know what it is either, Miss Lucy," Virgo sighed. "Your father keeps everything regarding those keys very hush-hush. Although, I'll be surprised if he doesn't realize one's missing. He'll probably burn the house to the ground trying to find it." Virgo let out a shrill and unconvincing laugh before shaking her head. "I don't know, Miss Lucy. I don't know what those keys are or where they lead to, but your father doesn't want anyone to know. And as for_ who_ gave it to you… well… I couldn't even make a guess. I'll ask around though, see if anyone knows anything."

Lucy wasn't sure if she was satisfied with the answer she received but nodded nonetheless. "Alright. Thanks, I guess." It bothered her that even Virgo, the one that had wanted nothing more than to take the key away from her, didn't know what it was. Although, it seemed her question as to whether or not it was a real key had been answered. If the key 'led' somewhere, as Virgo had said, that suggested it had a door that it opened.

At first thought Lucy couldn't think of any door, but decided she'd look into it further when her father was away, since apparently he would be furious if he knew she had it. For whatever reason.

Virgo nodded. "Okay then, let's go. You're late now!" The maid quickly ushered Lucy back out into the hall and nearly pushed her down the steps to where a very agitated Jude Heartfilia was waiting for her.

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**0=0=0=0=0**

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For as long as Lucy Heartfilia could remember, meetings about trades and offers with her father were her absolute enemy. She remembered sitting in wooden chairs, watching the clock in the corner with baited breath. The seconds seemed to tick by so slowly that they defied any rule of time. That's how it'd always gone at trade meetings. However, Lucy found the meeting today to be different.

She barely paid any attention as she was ushered into a black car and driven goodness knew where to then be quickly ushered out again. She was led here and there and finally into a room with a long mahogany table and glass windows giving a view off into a beautiful land of skyscrapers.

Magnolia was a very green and lush region, and so Lucy was always fascinated by the views in other towns when her father would meet with other leaders. However, today she barely paid attention to the scrawling high-top buildings and honking cars outside of the window.

That key. It was taking up every spare thought she had. The entire drive to Era had been a quiet one as she mulled over her conversation with Virgo. When she'd plopped down in a chair at the long table in the meeting room her mind had been full of nothing but questions as to what the key was and why her father didn't want her to have it.

She barely paid any attention to the meeting, nodding her head now and again in hopes that they'd think she was listening, even though her mind was miles away.

She caught little excerpts from their conversation here and there when her mind would hit a wall and she'd switch what she was focusing on. When she exhausted her thoughts on what the key was, she turned to asking what the key led to. She'd heard her father ask something about resources and then tuned it all out once again.

As much as she thought, she couldn't think of a single door that the key might belong to. She knew the mansion like the back of her hand, and she knew every door and what it led to. Never had she ever, in her eighteen years of life, ever come across a door that she hadn't been able to open. Her father, while he didn't like her making messes, didn't mind if she roamed to her heart's content, as long as she didn't break anything.

For some reason, it bugged her. She thought that somewhere she'd surely come across a door or a cabinet or _something _that she couldn't ever remember opening; but she couldn't. And before she knew it her father was standing next to her, their meeting adjourned and the president of Era bowing to them.

"We do thank you for your offer, Mr. Heartfilia," the man said, giving Lucy's father a sweet smile.

Lucy blinked, ridding her mind of the cloud that the key produced and standing up onto wobbly legs. Her endless wondering was exhausting her. She just needed to put it out of her mind for now. She had many days and meetings ahead of her that she could ponder through.

Jude nodded to the man. "Of course, Rowan. You know how much I love the countryside." Both men chuckled at a joke that seemed to go over Lucy's head.

"And of course it was lovely to see you again, Ms. Heartfilia," the President said, also bowing in her direction.

Lucy gave him a small curtsey before turning to leave. The long table was filled to the brim with different people, scribbling away on papers and typing away on small laptops. The instant Lucy and her father turned to leave, they all stood, shuffling papers and hurrying this way and that as if they were late for the most important meeting of their lives.

"Oh! Jude, that reminds me. About the trade we discussed on the phone this morning…" the President called after them, trailing off as Jude turned back.

Lucy's eyebrows knitted together in confusion as she watched her father nod. "Oh yes, of course. That is still approved on my side as well."

"Splendid!" the President smiled, clapping his hands together excitedly. "I'll be sending word soon of how to progress next."

Jude gave him a nod before again turning to leave, catching Lucy's elbow in his grasp and ushering her out. They walked in silence, shoes clicking on pricey hardwood flooring before they made it outside. Lucy was again shepherded into the same black car, the door clicking closed behind her.

She relaxed into the seat, letting out a heaving sigh. The meeting had gone quickly and painlessly, although she was absolutely exhausted from her marathon-long thinking session. That key just wasn't leaving her alone. And she swore she could feel it on her back where it was tucked underneath her dress. It was so warm, like a little heating pad right by her shoulder blade.

Her father dropped into the seat next to her and gave her a nod. "You behaved well, Lucy. I think you'll be very excited by the second trade offer Rowan gave to us." He closed the door and nodded to the driver.

Lucy looked his way skeptically. "What was the second trade offer?"

Jude let out a chuckle before shaking his head. "You'll see. It'll give you something to do, that's for sure."

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**So there it is! What's the trade? Why will it keep her busy? And who the hell invented straw hats? All will be answered... except the straw hat one. Lol!  
**

**Thank you so much for the amazingly lovely reviews I was given last chapter! They were amazing! And I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well!**

**~Foxtail-chan**


	3. The Search

**Hello there and welcome to chapter three! This one we're finally getting into the keys, so that's exciting. XD **

**Anyway, I hope you enjoy! :D**

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_**Chapter 3: The Search**_

Lucy had always hated July, as she'd told nearly anyone who'd listen. She'd told herself over and over again, she'd told the maids and butlers, she'd even whined about it to her father when she was little before he'd told her to be quiet. It was that dreaded month of meetings and parties, as she'd grown to call it.

Although, July in X777 didn't really seem to be too awfully painful. The first week, until the seventh and her birthday, had been like pulling teeth, but afterwards… it went almost… smoothly, if she dared say it.

It was all because of that key, of course. Every single meeting, every single trade, every single party, all she thought about was the key. It kept her up at night and every single moment she had of downtime, it plagued her as well. It wasn't an annoying type of plaguing though; she was completely happy to sit and think on the key for hours on end.

Never once, did it ever become boring to her.

And so the month of July droned on, day after day, week after week, until finally she flipped her calendar over and into the month of August. The meetings were over. The boring month was finally over. Of course, her father would be going nonstop but she wouldn't have to attend, and she was grateful.

She'd become nearly inseparable from that key in the meantime. She kept it tucked down the back of her dress no matter what she was doing. No one had noticed it yet and if what Virgo had said was true, that Jude would be furious, she was glad. No one gave a second look to the tan string around her neck that simply looked like a choker. No one at all.

Not much more had been said about that "trade" that her father had mentioned the day of their trip to Era. She'd been a tad afraid to ask, worried that perhaps she'd open a can of worms she didn't want to mess with and so she'd stayed quiet about the matter. Maybe it'd not gone through. Maybe either her father or the President of Era had decided it wasn't worth it… whatever the trade was. Either way, she wasn't complaining. She didn't like the thought of a trade "giving her something to do". It sounded like trouble.

And so the month of July had been quick and painless and now it was over. She'd collapsed onto her bed on the last night of July with the largest smile she'd ever had scrawled across her face. She grinned up at the ceiling and sighed. It was all over. Now, she was able to do what she really wanted: search for whatever kind of door or cabinet or safe that the key was matched with.

Virgo _had _asked around, like she'd said she would. Lucy'd been absolutely on the edge of her seat every time Virgo came in with new information. The maid had asked everyone. Every single butler, every single maid, every single chauffeur, everyone, but no one seemed to know a thing about the key more than Virgo did herself.

Virgo would recount every single day to Lucy that she really didn't know what the key did, but she really didn't want Lucy to have it. She said it was bad news. One day or another Lucy was bound to get caught and then they'd all be in deep trouble. Lucy paid her no mind. She was doing fine.

Virgo had said that little had been really seen of the keys. She said that Jude had twelve of them, all different colors, stashed somewhere in his office. He'd take them out every once in a while to make sure they were all there, during which Virgo had been present several times, but she'd never once seen him use one.

She'd told Lucy that when Jude had taken out the keys the last time -it'd been about a week after her birthday- she'd been a nervous wreck. She wasn't sure if she was a good enough actress to pretend she didn't know where the missing key had gone and she'd undoubtedly get caught. She'd said he took out those keys, and they'd all been there. All twelve had still been there, sitting in their little indentations on the beautiful velvet spread.

Virgo had said she was absolutely shocked. Lucy's key looked almost exactly like all of the others. The intricate design on the top was identical to every single one of the other keys, even the red one that was nearly the same color. Although, upon further inspection Virgo said that the key Lucy had wasn't the same color as the red one that Jude had. She'd said Jude's was a little darker and that it didn't have that odd bright and beautiful orange spiraled into the glass.

The thought of having a thirteenth key, one that Jude didn't seem to know about, absolutely baffled Virgo and she simply didn't know what to say. She was a bit more relaxed about Lucy having the key after that. She'd said that as long as she kept it hidden, Jude probably wouldn't find out about it. He had all twelve of his, so he wouldn't suspect a thing.

However, that didn't stop Virgo from telling Lucy that she really shouldn't look for what the key opened. She said she didn't know, but she had a bad feeling about it. It was kept so secret that she was sure it was something Lucy shouldn't know about. No one should know about it. Virgo herself didn't even want to find out.

Lucy'd shaken her head and brushed Virgo's warnings off. It was fine. She was positive her father didn't have something horrible kept as a secret. He may be a harsh man, a bit mean sometimes, but he wasn't a bad person. He wasn't a murderer or a thief or something. Lucy thought that surely it was just a key to a safe or something of the like.

Virgo didn't like the thought of Lucy tracing after where the key led, but after she'd been told over and over again by Lucy that no warning she gave was going to deter her, she began giving up. She'd sigh and throw her arms into the air, telling Lucy it wasn't her fault if she got hurt or found something she didn't want to know about.

That was how the end of July went, mostly. Virgo telling Lucy to give it up and Lucy refusing to do so.

After a lot of thought, Lucy thought she'd come up with a reasonable explanation for the key. Even though the thought of her father giving her a birthday present was absolutely absurd, she thought that maybe perhaps the key was actually _from _him. If he had those twelve keys, whatever they were, he could probably make a thirteenth.

The keys probably led to a safe full of very valuable things, and it was his way of giving some fancy jewelry or something to her. He just didn't want the awkward conversation, so he'd put it on her bed. She felt a bit dissatisfied with her prediction, but she figured it was probably correct.

So there were twelve keys, huh? She wondered why she hadn't seen them before.

On the last night of July, Lucy laid on her bed, clutching the key to her chest and staring at the ceiling. Tomorrow was the first day of August. Jude wouldn't be home. Virgo had said the keys were in his office and so Lucy figured that'd be the first place to start in trying to find out what lock _her _key fit into.

If it really was just a present from her father, she could probably just go and ask him upfront where the lock was, but something told her not to. Something told her that she should probably wait until she was alone. Virgo had been opposed, and she didn't know for sure it was from her father, so just to weed out any situations of getting caught and reprimanded for sneaking, she decided she'd wait until he was out of the house.

Lucy'd never seen herself as a scheming person, or a person to really plan things out, but this time she felt very devious and excited. She had her little plan. She'd get up in the morning, after her father left, sneak into his office and try to find the keys. A very simple plan and yet it still made her heart beat fast.

She ran her thumb over the key. As much as she believed that her prediction was true, she kinda hoped that she was wrong. Something about the key was downright intriguing, mystical even, and part of her hoped that it wasn't just some present from her father. Part of her hoped that it was something more.

* * *

**0=0=0=0=0=0**

* * *

Plan A was a go. Lucy'd been unable to sleep most of the night, finally giving up and getting out of bed at around four in the morning. She'd gotten dressed and sat on the floor, staring out the window as the sun began to rise.

She could hear a lot of things from her room. She heard the maids bustling by outside and just by the little snippets of conversations she'd hear when they passed by her door, she was informed almost immediately when Jude left. She heard a maid walk by and say something about the master being out, and then Lucy figured her plan was a go.

Almost immediately after she'd heard the news of her father leaving, everything seemed to calm down. Without Jude around, the help was at ease. Maybe they'd do their job or maybe they'd play cards; it really didn't matter if they didn't have someone breathing down their necks. Lucy was grateful for this; she wouldn't have any unwanted spies looking in on her while she creeped into her father's office.

She slowly opened her door, peering through the crack. She wasn't sure why she was sneaking; it was _her _house. She could just walk out like a normal person and no one would suspect a thing. Being sneaky was perhaps even more suspicious than just waltzing right into her father's office. But still… she felt the need to be quiet.

She couldn't help the excited butterflies in her stomach as she slipped out into the hallway, closing her door as quietly as she could before tiptoeing forward on the carpet. Her father's office was one floor up. She could get there easily.

She almost felt like a spy in one of those movies as she crept along, putting her back against walls and peering around corners before turning them. No one was anywhere around, in fact, she didn't even hear any voices, which was odd. Everyone must be down in the dining room having a snack or something… she didn't know. She didn't really care either as long as she was left alone.

The trek to Jude's office was short, although to Lucy it felt like it took an eternity. She made it to the room, once again looking around suspiciously before turning the golden handle. It wasn't locked. Thank goodness. She'd been worried about that. If he'd remembered to lock his office's door her plan would've been completely foiled.

She slipped inside without a sound, closing the door and turning to face the office. It was pitch black and she had to blindly feel her way around, stubbing her toes and cursing multiple times before she found his desk. She smacked around on the surface, finally finding the lamp and switching it on. It was a small lamp but it bathed the area in a light glow, enough so that she could see the entire room at least fairly well.

She sighed, traipsing around to the other side of the desk and plopping down into the large plush chair. She didn't go into her father's office much anymore –it was pretty boring- but it hadn't changed a bit. Bookshelves, a desk, tacky antiques, it was all the same. Everything was incredibly dark and dim as well, as per usual. She swore her father was a bat sometimes; he could sit in the dark for days without being bothered by it.

She chewed on the side of her cheek as she looked around the dimly lit room, trying to figure out where she wanted to start first. She figured the desk was as good of a place as any.

She opened drawers, flipped through papers, overturned boxes of staples and tape and overpriced pens, but she didn't find a thing. And then her hunt began.

She went around the room clockwise so there was some sort of order to her searching. She was like a tornado, flying through the room and overturning everything in her path –although she was careful to put it back, as she didn't want to leave anything suggesting she'd been there. Books flew off of bookshelves, statues were tipped over, clocks were pulled from the wall, lampshades were flipped, everything she came upon she scoured for any detail of where the keys might be. Nothing.

She finally ended her search, having gone full circle around the room, once again flopping into the desk chair and frowning deeply at the room around her. She'd looked and investigated and searched through absolutely everything but not a single sign of those keys.

She sunk deeper into her chair, groaning lightly to herself. What help was it if she couldn't find the keys? She wasn't about to just go through the house willy-nilly shoving her key into lock after lock to see if it worked. That'd take _forever. _Plus, she really wanted to get a good look at those other twelve keys that apparently looked like hers.

She pulled the key out from her dress and swiveled it around so it was in front of her. She frowned down at it, rubbing her thumb over the surface. "Where are your friends?" she asked.

Her peripheral vision caught ahold of something and she looked up. She'd slouched down so far in the chair that she was nearly lying flat on it, and in so doing, she could see the underneath of her father's desk, along with a very thin-looking drawer that wasn't visible from the outside.

She cocked her head, excitement again pulsing through her as she reached out toward the drawer, pulling it and sliding it out and into plain view. She scrambled up to sit in the seat properly again, the drawer sliding all the way out and nearly falling into her lap. Her eyes bugged.

Well, she'd definitely found something. She pulled the drawer out the rest of the way, unhooking it from its hinges and slowly placing it on top of the desk.

There was a long rectangular box inside of the drawer, only about an inch thick. She almost worriedly reached toward it, her hands twitching nervously as she grasped the box, shaking the lid off of it.

"Yes!" she hissed to herself when the lid popped off, revealing a beautiful set of twelve sparkling keys. They were sitting on navy blue velvet, shining brightly even in the dull light. There was a red one, an orange one, a yellow one, three different shades of green, three different shades of blue, a purple one, a pink-ish one, and a gold one. She grinned down at them, placing her hands in her lap and leaning over to get a better look.

She was almost afraid to touch them, instead scouring them with her eyes. They did in fact look almost identical to her own. They were the same size, shape, they were all glass, everything, but none of them had that weird glowy feel to them that hers did. She held her key up next to them. Yes, something was definitely special about hers. Sure, the other keys glowed in an eerie way, but hers was somehow just… different. She couldn't exactly put her finger on how or what was different about it, but it was.

"Okay…," she muttered to herself. Time to find out what these keys went to. She went against her gut instinct and reached forward, gently grasping the velvet the keys were lying on and trying to lift it out of the box. It took some effort and a few of the keys fell right out and clanked onto the desk loudly but she finally did it. They must be more durable than they looked because not a single scrape was on any of the keys that'd fallen. She'd half expected them to break.

She peered into the box, her heart sinking when she found it to be completely empty underneath the keys. It was plain brown, almost like a cardboard box received in the mail. It had a few stickers here and there on it with writing smudged beyond comprehension. She frowned at the stickers, her eyes flicking to all of them and finally landing on a small one in the corner.

"Lot 657," it read. She looked a little closer, squinting at the scribbly handwriting. "Lot 657/657. Success 1. Blown glass and metal mixture. Identical. Universal to doors 1-11. Door 12 specific to key number one. First door found in greenhouse as per Mr. Heartfilia's request."

Lucy's breath caught in her throat. The greenhouses… yeah they had a few. She'd been absolutely fascinated by them as a child but as she'd grown up she hadn't spent much time in them. They were hot and stuffy and she got headaches after being in them for too long. She couldn't remember there being a door in them rather than the one leading in and out, but things could've changed in the years since she'd last visited.

She tried to memorize what the sticker said, chanting it over and over again in her mind before gently and carefully placing the keys back into the box, adjusting them so they were sitting exactly how she'd found them. She placed the lid on the box, her heart racing once again as she slipped it back into the drawer, and attached the drawer back to its rails, sliding it back underneath the desk and out of sight.

Her heart was aflutter as she shoved her own key back into the back of her dress, excitedly springing out of the chair and nearly dashing over to the door. Plan A had been a success. Now all she needed to do was track down the greenhouses and some kind of door inside of one, and she'd be good as gold. She'd find that door and she'd find out whatever kind of weird valuable her father had put in them.

She squealed to herself lightly in excitement, her heart thumping madly and her nerves on high alert. She wasn't sure why she was so excited and jittery, but she was. It took all she had to not full-out sprint down the hallways of the mansion, instead clenching her hands into fists and trying to keep her pace at a fast walk. Somehow she did it, jumping down the steps to the entryway and flying over to the large front doors. She still hadn't seen a single maid or anyone at all, and once again she thanked whatever kinds of gods were out there.

With a lot of struggle she was able to heave open one of the doors wide enough to slip through, barely catching her dress in time for the door not to shut on it. She could only imagine the embarrassment of being stuck in the doorway until her father came home. That would've been a hard one to explain.

She couldn't contain herself, throwing all thoughts of walking out the window and bursting out into a sprint across the lawn. The greenhouses were in the backyard. She rounded the side of the house and they came into view. Beautiful gardens and fountains were behind the Heartfilia mansion, including a very confusing shrubbery maze that Lucy was absolutely sure had been put there by the devil, but all that was registered by her vision were those greenhouses.

There were three of them, in the back corner of the yard. She jumped over flowers, skidding around statues and apologizing to one of the cats that liked to stay in the sun as she nearly stepped on its tail. She flew to the back of the yard, skidding to a halt in front of the first and largest greenhouse, staring at the door.

She could see people moving around inside, gardeners, probably. She never talked with them much; they were a rather grumpy bunch. Virgo had said multiple times that the gardeners and landscapers were very stuck up and everyone tended to ostracize them. They were haughty and standoffish, she'd said, sticking her nose into the air and telling Lucy that they weren't the types to be messed with.

Lucy swallowed, her hand twitching toward the door. Surely they would be nice enough to talk with her for a bit, during which she could get a good look around and to search for any doors.

And then she heard a loud screech. She jumped a mile, whirling around. Her heart dropped to her stomach as she saw a familiar long black car pulling into the driveway. Jude was home. Already. He'd only been gone for a few hours. She was in plain sight of the driveway and without really thinking, dove down to the ground and shimmied as fast as she could around to the back of the greenhouse. It was nearly flesh with a tall wall of bushes but she managed to squeeze herself in between the building and the shrubs, flinching as branches hit her in the face.

She was such an idiot. If she would've stood there and waved confidently there wouldn't have been any suspicion at all. It was the _backyard _for God's sake. No one would think a thing if she was just standing outside, enjoying the day. But no, she just _had _to freak and flop to the ground in an army crawl. Because_that_ wasn't suspicious at all. She smacked her hands to her face. She hoped no one had seen.

She listened carefully, her ears picking up the sounds of the garage door opening and then closing. She let out a sigh of relief before once again sucking in a gasp of air as she heard footsteps crunching on the grass. '_No, no no no no no,' _she thought to herself.

As they got closer she could barely hear anything but the pounding in her ears. She was a good girl. She never did anything bad or something her father wouldn't like and she definitely didn't _sneak _around. That's what she got for finally doing something daring. If she could really call sneaking around her own house _daring. _

She formed her apology and her excuse in her mind. She was just outside, enjoying the day and… something had frightened her. Yeah, there was a snake or something. Maybe that cat had hissed at her. Something like-

She heard the door to the greenhouse open and then close and the footsteps died down. Her eyes widened. Someone was definitely looking out for her. She knew she wasn't visible from inside of the greenhouse; if she stayed put, she was probably off the hook. Whose feet had that been, anyway? And why were they going inside of the greenhouse.

"Mr. Heartfilia." Lucy nearly jumped out of her skin as a deep voice penetrated the silence. It was from inside of the greenhouse, probably the gardener. She clenched her teeth, leaning her head back and into the building, trying to concentrate enough to hear. Whoever had said her father's name must've bowed or something because she heard that deep and resonating voice of her father's dismiss him.

"Everything was fine today, sir," the gardener said again. "Very calm."

"Good," Jude seemed to nod. There was a long silence and Lucy turned her head, pushing her ear up against the glass. "It's about noontime, am I correct? I don't have a watch on me," her father asked.

"Yes sir, twelve oh one exactly."

"Mm, alright. I guess that means it's about feeding time."

* * *

**So there it is! I hope you liked it! Cliffhanger? Ish? Kinda? Lucy marching around to the theme of Mission Impossible... my mental image during this... oh goodness I'm rambling. XD**

**So we get to see the keys. That sticker is gonna come in handy. Let's hope Lucy remembers it! XD And that last line *wiggly eyebrows* Something needs feeding. XD**

**Thank you so so much for the lovely reviews last chapter! They all make me so incredibly happy! So let me know what you thought? :D**

**~Foxtail-chan**


	4. The Cat

**Hey there and welcome to chapter 4! Just wanted to say thanks for all of the lovely feedback last chapter. It was so amazing I can't even express my happiness. XD **

**Anyway, enjoy! :D**

* * *

_**Chapter 4: The Cat**_

Had she heard correctly? Lucy shook her head and pressed her ear up against the greenhouse again. Feeding time? What the hell did that mean? As far as she knew only plants were kept inside of the greenhouses –she really couldn't imagine an animal liking it that humid. She'd definitely heard wrong.

"Yes sir," the voice of the gardener chirped, sounding almost excited. "Right this way."

Lucy again suctioned herself to the greenhouse in hopes of making herself so skinny she might disappear. No one would see her if she disintegrated into thin air. 'Right this way' meant they were going somewhere, aka, outside. She just needed to stay out of sight until Jude and the gardener had left, and then she could leave her hiding spot, try to clean the dirt off of her dress, and act like nothing had happened.

She waited for the sound of the door, but nothing happened. She waited… for anything. The door, voices, something, but it was completely silent. What were they doing in there? Had they gotten distracted? Or worse… did they see her through the very foggy glass and were staring, wondering why the Heartfilia heir was hiding, smushed into bushes?

Lucy gulped, daring a peek over her shoulder. She was right; the glass was so foggy she could see hardly anything, instead blobs of color being her only clue as to what was going on inside. All in all it was a canopy of green, but she could see a blob of black inside, next to a blob of blue, both of which were moving. Black was her father, as he towered over nearly everything else with ease, and she presumed the blue was the gardener, although she had no idea what they wore. Probably something sleeveless; it was awfully hot in those greenhouses.

She watched carefully as the gardener bustled around while her father stood still. If she'd just heard right –"Right this way", meaning that they were going somewhere- why was Jude just… standing there?

There was a high-pitched click and Lucy squinted, trying to make out something amongst the steam.

"Alright, here you are, sir," the gardener said, the blue blob finally slowing to a stop and leaning to the side. The black blob didn't respond, instead walking forward… and slowly growing shorter and shorter before disappearing out of sight.

Lucy's eyes bugged nearly out of her skull. The blue blob then became shorter and shorter before disappearing from sight as well. There was another click, followed by a deep thunk, and everything was quiet again.

If there'd ever been a time in Lucy's life when she thought she could hear a bug walking, it was then. She was stunned silent, and it seemed the rest of the garden was as well. She blinked before staring at the steamy panes of glass again. No sign of the blue or black blob; it was as if they had just disappeared into thin air.

She wasn't quite sure what to do. Part of her said to stay put, and that surely her father and the gardener had just walked behind something she couldn't see but were still inside. Another part of her said to run as fast as she could to the house in hopes that no one had ever known she'd left. And yet another part of her _really _wanted to peek into the greenhouse to see what the hell was going on. People disappearing; that was a load of crap.

Lucy chewed the inside of her cheek while trying to decide what to do. After a while she figured that no, the gardener and her father weren't in fact, still there. It had to have been five minutes and no sign. If she knew her father as well as she thought she did, he couldn't stay quiet for that long. He bossed people around constantly and in the presence of one of the help, even one minute of silence was rare.

Lucy took a deep breath and decided she'd go with one of her other ideas. She'd sneak around to the door of the greenhouse, peer inside to see what was going on, and then sprint back to the house, pretending nothing had happened. That sounded like a good plan.

She let out a sigh to steady herself before shimmying out from the bushes. She shook herself, stray leaves and dirt flying everywhere. She'd been told never to play outside for too long growing up, for she would ruin her dress, and in looking down… they were right. She was covered in dirt; a complete mess. She should probably change first thing when she went inside, lest she attract more unneeded attention.

She crept around the foggy building, her eyes wide and waiting for some sign of her father or the gardener. She made it to the door without a sign and with another steadying breath, carefully opened the door a crack. She peeked inside. Plants, plants everywhere. They were pretty, yes, but man was it stuffy in there.

Her eyes flicked around amongst the green in search of her father, and came up empty. She pulled the door open a little further, tentatively poking her head inside. No one. She scoured the entire room with her gaze, finally settling on a small wooden door in the floor.

In the floor.

It wasn't a trapdoor, or a door that looked like it led to some sort of basement – she could easily see her father having a secret wine cellar underneath the greenhouse- but rather the door you'd see on any house you drove past. It even had a shiny golden knob. It looked very ordinary, aside from the fact that it was flat on the ground, instead of upright.

After a moment of thought Lucy began to put things together. When the blue and black blob had been shrinking, undoubtedly they'd been walking down some steps beyond this door, and they'd disappeared into whatever kind of weird storage Jude had underneath the greenhouse. That made a lot more sense than them just… poof, disappearing. Lucy felt silly for even imagining such a thing.

But still… she sort of wondered what kind of cellar it was.

Just as she'd cocked her head to the side, wondering what kind of fancy wine Jude kept down there if it required those keys to obtain –that is, assuming he had the keys with him to open the door, and she wasn't even sure of that; the windows had been too steamy- the knob to the very odd horizontal door jiggled and Lucy's heart nearly burst.

She shoved away from the greenhouse like it was on fire, panicking and whirling around to run toward the house. Once again she wondered why she hadn't simply closed the door and walked away, like a normal and completely sane human being – although her dress was a mess and she didn't exactly know how to explain that. But instead she'd bolted, hiking up her skirt and once again dodging statues and fountains.

She slipped and slid on the grass, looking more like someone running on marbles than the ground. Apparently the sprinklers had done their daily cycle while she'd been hiding because the grass was soaking and incredibly slippery.

She prayed she wouldn't fall on a pointy gnome or crack her head open on a stepping stone; that would be even harder to explain than a dirty dress.

And of course, just as she could see the ever-dry sidewalk within running distance, something had to step in her way. Something, as in a very scared-looking furball as it saw a blonde and very wobbly girl slip-sliding its way.

"Kyaaa!" Lucy screeched as she tried to halt, instead slipping around and toppling over backwards, knocking the poor and unassuming cat off its feet in the process. It yowled in surprise as Lucy slid to a stop, her eyes wide and mortified. If her father had seen that she wasn't exactly sure what to say.

She sat up slowly, rubbing the back of her head and looking for the cat. It was laying a few feet away, its paws in the air and a very shocked look on its face. She stared at it for a moment as it blinked up at the sky, apparently watching one of its nine lives float away. It'd been the same cat whose tail she'd nearly stepped on in sprinting _toward _the greenhouses, and now she'd damn near kicked it all the way across the lawn. Poor thing.

She scooted over to it, gently picking it up and setting it on its feet. "Sorry little guy," she said, petting down the cat's fur, which was now wet and sticking up in all directions. "You alright?"

The cat blinked again, slowly looking up to her as if it simply couldn't believe what'd happened to it. Lucy stared back, hesitantly continuing to pet the cat. After a few moments of the weirdest stare-off of Lucy's life, it began to purr, seemingly forgiving Lucy for the very shocking and exhausting afternoon. It rubbed up against her leg before trotting over to the dry pavement of the sidewalk and plopping down, asking for a belly rub where there wasn't so much water.

Lucy chuckled to herself before obliging and slowly scooting over to sit on the sidewalk next to the cat. He was sweet. She'd never had a pet before, since Jude abhorred anything that would shed, but she figured she was probably a cat person. They were nice and calm.

As she continued to rub the belly of the now very calm cat beside her she caught a glimpse of her father pushing the door to the greenhouse open. She tensed for a moment before forcing herself to relax. She was petting a cat; it was probably a good excuse as to why she was outside. She'd been sneaking around all day whereas if she'd just acted normal, nothing out of the ordinary would've happened; she could learn her lesson and act normal now.

Jude straightened his suit, looking to his left, then his right as the door suctioned shut behind him before he stalked forward. Lucy watched him as he walked, trying to keep her calm, her hand still methodically stroking the cat.

She only jumped when her father looked up, his stern eyes finally meeting hers. He seemed a little surprised, as his eyebrows raised ever-so-slightly before plastering themselves back into the furrowed frown he usually wore. He made his way over to her, shoving his hands into his pockets and glowering down at the cat.

"What're you doing out here, Lucy?" he grunted.

Alright, time for her big acting debut. She shrugged, looking down at the cat who was continuing to purr, only acknowledging Jude through a half-opened eye. "Just came out to give this little guy some attention."

Her father raised an eyebrow and continued to glare down at the cat. "How long have you been out here?" He sounded a little awkward, something Jude Heartfilia never sounded; it took Lucy by surprise slightly.

"Oh, just a little bit; I hadn't known that the sprinklers had been on and slipped." There. If he knew when the sprinklers were supposed to go off, he would probably assume she didn't come out until after then, and therefore hadn't seen a thing. Not only that but it would explain her soiled dress, _and _it wasn't a lie. She was on a roll.

Jude nodded, biting the inside of his cheek and frowning down at the cat. He seemed flustered, even though his facial features were as stoic as ever. He nodded toward the cat. "You like him?"

"I, uh, y-yeah… I guess," Lucy replied. She'd never seen the cat before in her life. They'd only been acquainted a little while ago and honestly hadn't gotten off on the best of feet. Although, she assumed that yeah, she liked him. He was exquisitely soft and his purr sounded like a rumbling engine.

"You come out to see him often?"

"Uh… just… sometimes," Lucy laughed awkwardly.

Jude tilted his head at the cat who was now not paying the large man even an ounce of attention. "Well, he seems to like you."

Lucy looked back down at the cat and nodded. She'd never really petted a cat before; she just hoped she was doing it right.

Her father cleared his throat. "Well, if you ever were to want him inside I assume it could be arranged. He has short hair. It doesn't look like he'd shed much."

"W-what?!" Lucy coughed. He had to be kidding! She'd begged for pets when she was little and had gotten no less than the scolding of her life and now he just… _offered _to _willingly _have a furry animal in the house? Maybe she was right and he was distressed. He still felt a little off to her; like her presence had really shaken him when he'd exited the greenhouse.

She was completely ready to say no, that it was fine if the cat stayed in the garden, when she realized that A- how suspicious would that look? Saying she came outside _just _to pet this cat and then saying that no, she didn't want it and B- she actually did kinda want a pet. And this cat, no matter how far she'd accidentally kicked it, seemed to like her as well. He might be a good start for her.

"Um… yeah, actually that'd be great," she said, unable to keep a smile from curving her lips.

Jude nodded. "Very well then; you may take him inside. Give him a bath though; he's filthy." Without another word her father stalked past, stomping on the cement before turning the corner and heading toward the front door.

Lucy stared, amazed, after him. She wasn't sure what to make of the entire ordeal, her father's offer _or _the weird business in the greenhouse, but after a few minutes of continuing to pet the cat, and slowly mulling over her options, she decided it was probably best to put it out of her mind for the moment.

She could think over it in her room whenever she wanted; she had a ridiculous amount of free time coming up anyway.

She gave herself a small nod before pushing herself up to stand. The cat meowed in displeasure as the petting stopped and she looked back down at him with a smile.

"Alrighty then, little guy. Time to give you a bath… and a name."

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**So there it is! I hope you enjoyed! And yes, this cat is going to play an important little role in the story. XD I was going to write until a different stopping point, but I realized the chapter was getting _insanely _long so I split it up into two.**

**Thanks again for the lovely reviews and whatnot. I love every single one. And I always love to hear what you thought of a chapter or whatnot. :D**

**~Foxtail-chan**


	5. The Discovery

**Hello there! Sorry for the long wait; I've been super busy... but that's not much of an excuse is it? XD  
You guys have been sending some amazing reviews which have made me so so so happy! A few even messaged me and guessed who the cat was. I'm not so good at making things not obvious am I? XP  
**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter! Things finally start getting a move on!**

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_**Chapter 5: The Discovery**_

"Ow." Lucy flinched, squinting one eye in pain and wrapping the bandage the rest of the way around her finger. She'd always heard that cats disliked baths, rain, or really anything involving water but she'd assumed it was an old wives' tale. Surely cats didn't hate water that much.

Well, they did.

She'd picked up the filthy cat and promptly escorted him into the house and up the stairs to her bathroom. He'd been calm, curiously looking around the house from Lucy's arms. The maids had looked absolutely shocked to see a pet inside but no one stopped Lucy to question.

The calm cat had promptly turned into what Lucy could only describe as a tiny devil once the water was turned on and she'd placed him into the tub. The door was closed, locked even, so she was then forced to stay in a very confined space with the screeching and howling cat whose claws were just about as sharp as razors.

Lucy could only imagine what it must've sounded like from the outside. She yelled, the cat yelled, she spit bad words as more and more cuts adorned her hands, the cat continued to yell and flail. The water didn't stay in the tub, needless to say, but after what seemed like an eternity, she'd gotten him clean.

She'd then taken a shower of her own, fussing with her hair which was seemingly made out of sticks and leaves, soon exiting and finding a first aid kit to bandage herself up.

She glared at the cat from across the room as she tore open another package of gauze with her teeth. He was just sitting there, leg above his head as he licked every last drop of water off of himself, so calm now you would've never guessed he was in what seemed to be a small warzone only a little while before.

He was cute though, so Lucy found it hard to stay mad. She sighed, finishing her bandaging job and slouching, putting her elbows on her knees and resting her chin on her hands. What a surprisingly eventful day she'd had.

She glanced over to her bedroom door. It seemed like it'd just been a few seconds ago she'd been sneaking into her father's office. She was sure glad she found those keys though, even if a variable hell ensued afterwards. At least she had a few more clues as to what _her _key was for. Sort of. She had to admit that she was possibly even more confused now than she had been whenever she'd first received the key.

She reached into her dress and pulled out the flaming glass key, turning it over in her hands for the thousandth time. Those other keys had looked so similar, and yet so different.

"Lot 657/657. Success 1. Blown glass and metal mixture. Identical. Universal to doors 1-11. Door 12 specific to key number one. First door found in greenhouse as per Mr. Heartfilia's request," Lucy whispered to herself. Although she'd only read it once, the note on the box holding the keys Jude kept in his office, she could remember it as clear as day. "Success 1...," she repeated.

Lucy flopped down onto her bed and stared at the ceiling. 'Success 1' hinted at there being multiple tries to create the keys, although Lucy couldn't fathom why. They were only keys. If they were blown glass and metal, it seemed to her as if they were something quite ordinary. They sure didn't look it, but they weren't made out of anything special. Why on earth would they have a fail-success rate? Not only that but if the 'Lot 657/657' hinted at exactly how many were made, with only one success, that meant there was not one, not two, but a whopping six hundred and fifty six fails before Jude's set of keys.

Lucy just couldn't fathom something like that. What was so damn special about them?

She sighed and turned over, putting her head on her elbow and staring over at the cat again. He'd made himself at home on top of a small pile of clothes Lucy had yet to put up. He was curled, sleeping soundlessly.

When Lucy'd first seen the cat he'd looked homely. He was a brown-ish rusty-ish color, probably a tabby, nothing special. However, after bathing all of the dirt and grime off of him a new color had shone through. He was a unique grey, maybe even with a little blueish tint mixed in. Lucy didn't know what breed that could be; she had all the time in the world to figure it out.

"Universal to doors 1-11," Lucy whispered to herself, her eyes trailing to her window. She'd told herself to let it go. Let go of the weird note and the odd encounter with the greenhouse until the next day. Her mind felt cloudy and fogged; there was no way she could think about it properly in this state, but her thoughts kept going back to it.

Doors 1-11. That didn't make any sense. What doors? The note had said 'First door found in greenhouse as per Mr. Heartfilia's request'. There was no doubt in Lucy's mind that that door was the same door she'd seen on the floor of the greenhouse. It was just too out of the ordinary for it not to be.

Lucy chewed the inside of her cheek, her eyes flicking to each individual star beginning to form in the sky. She'd really been wrestling with that cat for a long time.

"Alright," Lucy said to herself. She wanted to just go to bed and think about all of this tomorrow but with her racing thoughts, sleep seemed to be out of the question. "So if, persay," she spoke aloud to herself, "the door in the greenhouse is door number one, there must be more doors behind it. That, or there are other doors somewhere around the… house?" It seemed like the first option was more realistic.

"Okay, so if the other what… eleven doors are behind door number one in the greenhouse, they should match the other keys?" She recounted the note again. "Identical. Universal to doors 1-11. Door 12 specific to key number one," she repeated. "So I guess those keys all would work in the door I saw, aside from key number one?" Lucy wracked her brain for a moment. The key on the far right or the far left had to have been key number one. She assumed left, and if she was right that was the bright red key Jude had, the one that looked most similar to her own key. Still, none of them had that otherworldly glow that hers had.

"So if I have this right…," she took a deep breath. "Father had the keys made for some reason, although it seems the keys weren't easy to make, but eventually they had a "successful set" whatever the hell that means. Anyway, he had a door put in the greenhouse, leading somewhere –goodness only knows where- and those keys were to open the door, and eleven more, which I'm assuming are behind door number one." Lucy nodded to herself.

It seemed rather straightforward. There were twelve keys and twelve doors. However that didn't answer her two glaring questions. One, what on earth was behind those doors? Her first thought of Jude keeping wine or antiques down there had gone straight out the window after she'd given it some thought. He was a secretive man but not that secretive. At least, not for wine or something. And two, how on earth did her key work into all of this? It didn't match the other keys, yet they were so similar it was hard to believe they weren't related.

Lucy looked to the ceiling again. Actually there was still the third question of who gave her the key… so she actually had three glaring questions.

"Ugh," she grunted, rubbing her eyes and allowing herself to relax. All that mattered at the moment was that Jude didn't seem suspicious of her –at least not that she could tell, although he'd been absolutely thrown off by her presence when he'd exited the greenhouse- and that was what she needed to focus on. She'd somehow uncovered some sort of secret and her number one priority should be keeping her knowledge secret from her father until she was absolutely positive that A- he wouldn't get angry that she'd found out and B- she'd found out all she could on her own. She was beyond curious and a sinking feeling told her that if she told Jude right away, he wouldn't let her in on any of the details at all, and maybe even take her key which she'd grown quite accustomed to.

It was a mess. Her brain was a mess. She figured it'd all work itself out in the morning, after she'd gotten a good amount of sleep.

The clock in the corner chimed, ringing out loud and clear, finally stopping after the twelfth chime. It was midnight.

And almost like clockwork the cat stirred, stretching itself out and padding across the room. It sat down at the side of Lucy's bed, yawning largely before staring up at her with sparkling eyes. She glanced down at it. "You want to sleep up here? It's comfortable."

The cat let out a small cough before blinking once, and looking over toward the door. Lucy followed its gaze. "What? You want out?" Another small cough and the cat merrily pranced over to the door, seemingly saying 'yes please'.

Lucy sighed, rolling out of bed and sulking over to the door. She hadn't been tired just a bit ago but after thinking for so long she had to admit she felt her eyes drooping. "Alright, here you go," she mumbled, opening the door a crack, just large enough to let the cat slip through and into the hallway. Lucy peeked out after him as he looked up and down the hall with a gleam of curiosity in his eyes. "Eh, he'll be fine. I don't think anyone will banish him outside without asking Father first… and he said he was fine with it," Lucy grumbled, quietly shutting the door behind the cat and turning back to bed.

It was glaringly obvious that the cat didn't like the door shut. "YEEOOOOOWWWW!"

"Oh jeez!" Lucy jumped, startled. She whirled around to look at the door. The cat yowled again, louder this time, so loud in fact that she was positive it'd been heard halfway across the world. She dashed back over to the door and flung it open. "Shhhh! What're you trying to do? Get yourself kicked out?" she hissed down at the feline.

The cat looked beyond distressed, but at the sight of Lucy and an open door, calmed back down, tilting its head to the side and coughing up at her as if to say 'What? Me? It's your fault you shut the door'. Lucy'd never seen a cat with as many facial expressions as this one. It almost looked humanesque.

"You want me to leave the door open?" Lucy asked. She felt almost crazy, talking to a cat. But the cat coughed lightly again, this time looking down the hallway. "Oh… you want outside?" It seemed as if she'd hit the mark because the cat meowed happily and began trotting down the hall, its tail waving back and forth as it went.

This cat understood her, she swore it did. It was weird. Freakish even. And the little thing kept coughing… not like an actual cough but a little sound to get attention. It wanted back outside though, so Lucy assumed it wasn't happy here. It perhaps enjoyed the life of a wanderer more than being cooped up in luxury. She didn't blame it; she had thought many times how amazing it would be to stay outside, looking up at the stars every night.

Lucy grabbed a light jacket and swung it around her shoulders, over her pajamas, quickly having to jog to keep up with the cat who was already prancing down the grand staircase. It didn't appear the cat's incredible yowling spell had woken anyone up, or more likely, they'd just gone back to sleep. She was glad no one had thought anything of it; the less attention the better.

Lucy shuffled in her slippers over to the large front door and heaved. It opened reluctantly and Lucy watched silently as the cat slipped outside and into the pitch black. "Alright little guy," Lucy whispered. "I hope I'll see you around sometime. You owe me one. I gave you a bath and all I got was shredded hands in return," she snapped, unable to keep a smile off of her face despite how peeved she was by her battered fingers.

She let the door close with an echoey thunk. And once again it appeared the cat was not too thrilled with having a door shut in its face. "YYEEEOOOWWW! MROW! YEEOOOW!"

Lucy's eyes bulged and she struggled to pull the door open again. What was with this cat?! It was in the middle of the damn night! Didn't it know to be quiet? And why on earth did was it unhappy this time? "What the hell is your problem?" Lucy hissed into the dark of the night. She hoped everyone would just ignore the cat again and go back to bed. She really didn't want to explain this early that she had a cat that apparently wasn't happy with anything at all.

Two gleaming eyes in the dark blinked back at her, this time without an answer.

"What?" Lucy asked. "What's your deal? I let you out; what do you want now?"

The cat let out a cough again and the two glowing eyes disappeared. Lucy stared, her eyes growing wide in hopes of seeing something in the dark. The moon was nearly full so it cast at least a little light.

She wasn't sure how long she stood in the doorway, contemplating what to do, but after a small internal talk with herself she decided to go out and see where the cat had gone. Maybe she'd watched too many cheesy movies with animals but she'd sworn that last little cough from the cat had been asking her to follow it.

She slipped outside and shivered in the cold air, wrapping her jacket around her tightly and letting the door close as quietly as she could. She blinked, letting her eyes adjust to the dark as much as they could before she spotted the cat, sitting lazily near the far corner of the house, its tail swishing idly.

"Alright, hold on," she grumbled, walking clumsily toward the cat and hoping she didn't step on anything that was alive, like a bug, or maybe another cat since she seemed to be a cat magnet lately.

Once she was within a few feet of the cat it rose to its feet, quickly sashaying toward the back of the house, looking over its shoulder once in a while to make sure Lucy was still behind it. She followed the grey cat silently, curiosity blooming the farther they went. She hadn't been crazy; this cat really was leading her someplace.

She had a sinking feeling as to where, and after a while, the cat stopped and her suspicions were confirmed. "The greenhouse?" she whined. "Again? I'm not sure how I feel about this place anymore," Lucy grumbled.

The cat rolled its eyes before giving another cough, and a nod toward the door. Lucy pursed her lips, contemplating what to do. Was she curious? Yes. Was she also a little bit dreading what was to come? Yes. And was she even a little confused? You bet. After a bit she gave in, deciding that now was as good of a time as any to check out that weird door. She figured she'd investigate sometime or another, but she hadn't figured it would be so soon.

She twisted the knob to the greenhouse and surprisingly, it clicked, unlocked. "Really?" she whispered to herself as the cat squeezed through the opening and into the greenhouse, Lucy soon to follow. "If you're so secretive about this place you should really lock the doors," she muttered, her words directed at her father.

Surprisingly it was easier to see in the greenhouse during the night than at daytime. The moon through the glass made the plants seem to glow. It was still stuffy and a little hard to breathe but it was better, doable at least.

The cat trotted straight to the door in the floor, sitting on it and giving another cough.

"I don't have the keys," Lucy sighed, making her way to the door and crouching down next to it. She ran her fingers across the wood. It was slick, polished, and yet felt surprisingly weak. She'd heard a thud when it'd closed, a loud thud so she assumed it was heavy, but still it felt weak.

The cat coughed again, looking at her intensely. Lucy stared back. For the second time in one day Lucy had had a stare-off with a cat. Although this time was more productive. Somehow, after staring into those glassy eyes she seemed to feel the key which was still tucked into her clothes, burning her again.

When she'd first received the key she'd marveled at how warm it was. Sometimes it'd seemed hotter than others, but after a while she'd gotten used to the warmth and had disregarded it. However, it'd never felt this hot before, almost painfully so.

"Ouch," she winced, quickly pulling the key and its string over her head. Maybe it was her imagination but the key looked even brighter than before, radiating heat and light as if it was excited.

The cat coughed impatiently, looking down toward the door's handle. Lucy spotted the keyhole easily. Well, she guessed this was her chance to see if her key was related to the others after all. "If it breaks, I'll have you shaved," she muttered to the cat. The key seemed breakable and she'd grown to like it.

With a shaky hand she willed herself to place it into the lock, closing one eye in anticipation of a snap as she turned it in its slot.

_Click._

"Eh?" She withdrew the key. It was unharmed. She stared back down at the door handle, shakily reaching out. It hadn't turned much in the keyhole, surely it wasn't unlock- The handle turned and the door moved. The cat hopped off of it, allowing Lucy to open it fully. "Holy crap," she whispered to herself, her voice trembling. It had actually worked. Her key actually worked. The weird key on her bed that she'd gotten from god knew who opened this obscure door in the floor of the Heartfilia greenhouse, a door she'd not known existed.

The cat didn't hesitate, hurdling itself into the black hole the door revealed and disappearing out of sight.

Lucy let the door open fully, withdrawing her shaking hand and clasping the key with it, holding it close to her chest as she continued to shake. Why was she shaking? She'd never been this nervous in her life but she wasn't sure why. Why was she so damn nervous? Why was her heart pounding so hard? And why did she not seem so against finding out what was behind the door.

She couldn't see a thing beyond the door's threshold, only a black abyss and yet she found herself stepping into it. Her foot hit a stair without having to reach too far into the black hole and she kept going. One step, then the next. She couldn't see where she was going, only going by feel. She could hear her heart throbbing in her ears as she slowly descended into the ground, her nose becoming even with the door and then her head slipping completely out of sight.

If anyone were to have looked into the greenhouse then there would've been no trace of a young blonde woman or a cat, just an open door laying on the floor and a black rectangle next to it seemingly leading to the end of nowhere.

Lucy's breaths came shakily, her legs wobbly as she took it one step at a time. Her thoughts were racing too fast to reign in. She wanted to stop for a moment, to stand still and try to prepare herself, but she couldn't get her feet to stop. They had a mind of their own, seemingly embracing her curiosity and taking her forward and downward, forward and downward.

Lucy wasn't quite sure how long she descended the seemingly never-ending black staircase. The dark seemed suffocating. She couldn't tell when the next step was or even if there _was _a next step. She wouldn't have known if there was a wall right in front of her face, and the thought of knowing nothing, not even hearing the cat's footsteps, scared her.

And yet she somehow made it through, a tiny dot of a light appearing in the distance and making her heart skip a beat in both excitement and dread. It was exhilarating to see light, and yet terrifying as to what that light held.

The dot became bigger and bigger until it swallowed the darkness whole and she finally stepped off of the last stair and onto stone flooring. It was a large archway she passed through, damp stone panels constructing both it and the room she was birthed into. Walls, floors, ceiling, everything was perfectly rectangular tan stones, all except a few torches adorning the walls every few yards; they were the source of light that she'd seen from so far away.

The cat sat just inside of the archway, lazily waiting for Lucy to arrive before coughing and trotting ahead again. Lucy continued to follow obediently, her voice gone, her throat dry, and her hands still clasping the key tightly as if it were her only life source. It was deathly quiet, aside from the stale sound of dripping water and her own shuffling steps. The floor was damp, glistening in the firelight. She looked around herself, feeling smaller and smaller by the minute in such a large tunnel.

The cat coughed and she came back to attention, looking forward to see the tan stones finally changed. Blocking the corridor's path was a steel door. Bolts the size of railroad stakes bordered it, giving it an ominous feeling that made Lucy cringe a little more. She was second-guessing this now. Maybe she should've just gone and asked her father… maybe he would've told her after all.

The cat trotted over to the right side of the door and looked upward. There was a small metal panel next to the steel door. Lucy hesitantly moved toward it, leaning over slightly to get a better look. Ten keyholes in two rows of five were inset into the little metal panel. Next to them was a green light and a red light as well as a tiny glowing turquoise screen, although the screen didn't say a thing. Below the keyholes was one larger keyhole, outlined in gold and swirling etching.

Lucy took a deep breath to gather her thoughts. They must be for doors 2-12. Surely door twelve was the fancier lock.

The cat coughed impatiently and Lucy felt the key warm in her hands again. "I-I don't know about this," she squeaked, looking down at the cat worriedly.

The cat's eyes intensified and it meowed lightly as if to say 'trust me'. And for some reason, Lucy felt as if she could trust the cat, even if it had torn her to pieces in the bathtub.

She took a deep breath, closing her eyes and praying she wasn't doing something stupid before opening her eyes and with as much confidence as she could, putting her key into the first of the tinier keyholes. She turned it.

_Click._

The green light blinked once and a small white number two appeared on the turquoise screen. Lucy shook but moved onto the second keyhole.

_Click._

The green light blinked again and the two flickered into a number three. With each keyhole Lucy grew a little more confident, watching as the number slowly counted up to eleven. Her key had worked for all of the smaller locks; she figured now was the moment of truth as she moved onto the final keyhole.

Her key was dwarfed inside of the large slot, but she tried anyway, turning one final time. There was no click.

Instead the green and red lights turned off completely, the eleven on the screen going blank for a moment. Lucy's heart had time to only throb once before a number twelve appeared and a low churning sound echoed from underneath her feet.

She withdrew her key quickly, stumbling backward as the ground began to shake. Everything rumbled, the flames on the torches whipping back and forth and small crumbles of rocks falling from the ceiling.

"O-Oy, is this supposed to happen?" she squeaked to the cat, her voice barely audible over the rumble.

The cat didn't seem phased, instead waiting patiently in front of the metal door.

And before Lucy could register what'd happened, the large steel door which she could've only guessed weighed at least half a ton, shot upwards and disappeared into the stone. She saw another identical door behind it, and it shot upward as well. She stared in amazement as twelve doors, all steel and very ominous-looking appeared, all opening one after the other to reveal a pathway. The cat trotted forward and Lucy's legs moved on their own again, following.

The instant both she and the cat had gotten past the small corridor, all twelve of the heavy doors slammed downward, blowing a cannon-like shot of wind toward Lucy and blew out every torch in sight.

She squeaked in surprise, once again plunged into darkness. It was silent. She hadn't gotten a good enough look at the path ahead to tell where they were or where she should be going. She reached her hands out in front of her, groping around in the air for something to touch and to give her some sort of perspective on where she was. She stumbled forward blindly, and surprisingly before she'd even made it ten feet, her hands hit cool metal.

She recoiled away from the metal in surprise. It'd felt a bit like metal bars but she wasn't sure and wasn't about to reach out again.

She swallowed, calming her breathing just long enough to realize that she was now accompanied by another sound. Her heart in her ears had nearly overshadowed the very quiet sound that seemed to be not too far in front of her. What was it? It came in short and steady puffs… almost like someone breathing.

Her heart stopped. "H-hello?" The sound stopped for a moment and just as she was about to decide it'd all been in her imagination, she received an answer, a gravelly voice that sounded as if it hadn't been used in years.

"Hello Lucy."

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**So there it is! I hope you liked it! Sorry, a cliffy. D: Who is this mystery person? OoooOOOOooooOOoo *cough cough* XD  
I struggled with this chapter so I hope you'll forgive me if it was a little confusing... I hope it wasn't confusing.. orz.  
**

**Anyway, once again thank you sooo much for the amazing reviews and whatnot! I cannot express how happy they make me!**

**I hope you have a lovely weekend and I'll try not to take so long with the next chapter XP**

**~Foxtail-chan**


	6. The First Meeting

**Chapter six it is! Natsu and Lucy finally meet and exchange some words~! **

**I hope you enjoy! :D**

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_**Chapter 6: The First Meeting**_

_Thump._

Her heart beat once, loud enough to shake her entire body as her eyelids fluttered. She wasn't alone. It was pitch black and damp and cold and there was someone else there. Someone she didn't know. What had she done? She'd made the wrong decision coming down here on her own in the middle of the night. She'd gotten herself into something far bigger than she could handle; she just knew it.

"Wh-who's there? Who is it?" Her voice shook pitifully, high-pitched and weak. She couldn't hear her heart anymore. A moment ago it'd been pounding away and yet with that one loud thump, she'd sworn it'd stopped.

Maybe because her eyesight had been taken away, maybe not, but it seemed as if her hearing had intensified. She could hear the breathing again. It was coming from where the voice had, although the voice was making no attempt to answer her at the moment. She could still hear dripping water and a small scuffing sound made by her slippers on the stone as she shook. She couldn't hear any sign of the cat although she could feel his presence to her left.

She wasn't about to say anything else. It'd taken all her strength to ask who it was and she doubted she could even get out another word. Her throat was dry as sandpaper suddenly. She'd just stay still, unable to see an inch in front of her face. Someone had to find her eventually.

_'__Don't panic.' _It was the only two words she thought could soothe herself at the moment and she slowly and meticulously chanted them over and over again in her mind.

"Mm," the voice sighed and Lucy's throat tightened again. The voice cleared his throat and coughed twice, a dry cough that sounded painful. "You're afraid."

She took in a steady breath. It'd been a statement. She wasn't about to say anything to the voice more than she had to. Although after he'd cleared his throat his voice sounded a little more… welcoming? At first it'd sounded like death warmed over but now it sounded… a little more human. A little more like someone that wasn't as scary as she was imagining him to be. Whoever he was.

She could almost feel the voice frowning. "Why're you afraid?"

Her eye twitched. As scared as she was she had to admit that that was a very stupid question. "Why wouldn't I be?" she almost snapped back, her voice suddenly coming back to her.

He laughed once, a throaty laugh that felt like home before breaking out into a coughing fit. There was also a slapping sound and Lucy assumed he was hitting the wall to try and get the coughing back under control. Although honestly, she had no idea. She could guess what was going on around her, but she had no idea.

She relaxed a little once his coughs died out. She could only imagine what kind of person was kept down here. She assumed gruff, looming, someone who could crush a skull in one hand, but after that laugh… he sounded like someone normal. Not a murderer or a criminal or something horrible. Just… normal. She believed she was definitely going insane if she thought she could judge someone based upon their laugh. She felt her heart throb nervously again in fear. Yes, she didn't know a thing about this person; she needed to stay on high-alert.

The voice sighed. "I have to admit I don't know where to start."

Lucy's eyes widened. "Wh-what do you mean?"

She felt him frown again. "Mm… long story I suppose, but to make it short… I've kinda wanted to meet ya for quite a while now, Lucy."

Instinctively Lucy backed away, even though she had no idea where she was going. Those words instilled a type of fear into her heart she'd yet to experience before in her lifetime. She felt panicked. He'd wanted to meet her? Some man down beneath her house that she'd never seen before, never heard of before, someone that was apparently being kept under lock and key, had wanted to meet her for 'quite a while'? She couldn't describe why but suddenly she was even more afraid than she had been when she'd first entered the corridor.

"Oh no, that came out wrong," the voice backtracked. "Not like… in a creepy way I promise." Another light awkward laugh sounded from in front of her. "Just like… I've heard a lot about you and I like what I've heard?"

Lucy's eyes bugged and she backed away again. Who was this creepy guy? What did he know about her? Where had he come from? This had to be a dream. A very very bad dream. Was he stalking her?

"Shit," the voice cursed. "I just made it worse." There was a loud dissatisfied grunt before another sigh. "We've gotten off on the wrong foot, Lucy. Here, this might help."

There was only a moment of silence for Lucy to collect her thoughts before she felt a light warm breeze. The key still clutched in her hands grew hot again and in a light whisper, the torches on the walls slowly flickered back to life. The warm breeze stopped and as the flames grew, Lucy's eyes began to adjust again.

She glanced behind herself to see she was still just a little ways in front of the big steel doors. In front of her… she wasn't sure what it was. There was a dark, rusty metal wall sealing off the corridor with a normal-sized and yet sturdy-looking door in the middle. In front of those walls were metal bars, mimicking that of a jail cell. Yes, that's what it looked like. It looked like there'd been some sort of cell there that someone had inserted sheets of heavy-duty metal behind. The door looked sturdy, its only flaw being a small rectangular hole just at eye-level. There were smaller metal bars in the little hole but still enough space to see inside.

There was also another smaller hallway branching off from the corridor on Lucy's left, although it was pitch black and very uninviting.

She assumed the voice she'd heard came from a man inside whatever reinforced jail cell was in front of her, although he hadn't spoken again. Reinforced… yes, it looked like someone had tried to make the cell stronger. Although it made Lucy more and more worried by the second as she thought through what kind of person was behind those bars, her feet once again surged to life on their own and slowly began carrying her towards the door. She was afraid beyond belief but she was also extremely curious and it seemed her curiosity was winning. As long as the voice didn't speak she felt a little more brave.

It couldn't hurt, just one peek. She didn't know what kind of guy he was but surely no human could break through whatever kind of metal that was. She stopped a moment later, in front of the door and raised herself up hesitantly onto her tiptoes. She could still hear him breathing but he hadn't moved to continue conversing with her.

Her eyes flickered around as she took in the inside of the cell. It was bare stone, looking nearly identical to the corridor she was standing in, only closed off. There was what looked to be a metal table with a blanket thrown over it to form a makeshift bed. A few blobs that looked like metal scraps were scattered here and there on the floor, but there was no sign of a person.

Lucy raised herself further onto her tiptoes and finally she caught sight of him. He was on the floor, leaning hunched over against the wall to the left of the door. Lucy wasn't sure if he'd been sleeping before she'd arrived or if he was just sitting in that uncomfortable-looking position.

He seemed to feel her eyes on him and slowly lifted his head, their gazes trailing to meet each other's. Lucy's breath caught in her throat. He was unlike anything she'd seen before.

He looked relatively normal on the outside. He was probably in his late teens, muscled yet lanky, his skin surprisingly dark for being in a place that seemed to never see the sun. His hands lay open on the floor, dirty, smudged with all kinds of grease and grime.

Her eyes trailed down him once and then back up to meet his gaze. She wasn't sure what he was wearing, although whatever it was looked worn thin. His hair was unruly and spiky, sticking up in all directions. It was… a dark salmon-y pink in color, something she hadn't seen before. Although none of those things was what made him look so otherworldly.

His eyes were black. Black and sharp and flicking back and forth to look into both of her eyes. The look he gave her was so intense and so curious she felt as if he might sear a hole right into her forehead with the power he gave off. His eyes were deep; they held something… many things… although she couldn't place what they were. There was a sense of wildness in his gaze as well, almost animalistic as he continued to search her face curiously.

She'd been afraid of him a moment ago but now… she was intrigued. He didn't look _dangerous_ exactly and after staring at him for so long… he didn't _feel_ dangerous either. In fact, she could swear she was feeling sympathy for the boy. He looked worn; what on earth was her father doing keeping some teenager down in a jail cell?

She wavered on her tiptoes and the boy finally broke his searing eye contact with her, instead looking down at himself and brushing off his pants. "I'd get up so you didn't hafta give your feet cramps to look in, but I just had a _really_ big meal… and I'm… kinda comatose right now." He laughed up at her, his eyes closing in what seemed to be happiness, giving her a toothy grin. "Sorry."

Her heart was slowly but surely making its way back down to its normal rate every time he laughed. It seemed like the laugh of a child almost, or someone pure. Once again she told herself not to judge a book by its cover but she couldn't help but feel a little at ease with the boy. He seemed to be a far cry from that hoarse, raspy voice that'd said 'hello'.

He opened his eyes again as his grin faded into a light smile. He looked up at her with eyebrows raised, his eyes still holding the same amount of burning intensity as before, even though he looked a bit more cheery. "Are ya still creeped out from before? Sorry, that all came out wrong," he sighed, scratching his cheek. When she didn't answer he continued. "Here, let's start over," he cleared his throat. "Hi, my name's Natsu; nice to meetcha, Lucy." He grinned up at her again.

She felt more at ease now and yet for some reason she couldn't seem to conjure her voice. She opened her mouth and when no sound came out, she closed it again. She wavered on her toes but willed them to stay strong. She was too intrigued by the occupant of the cell to lose out to weak toes. She wanted to watch him for a bit; try and maybe figure out why Jude had him down here –at least she assumed it was her father's doing, and that this guy apparently named Natsu was the big secret.

When she didn't respond Natsu's grin faded. "I-I know this might be kinda weird but I promise I'm no stalker… That's what you were thinking I was, right?" He raised an eyebrow, a forced laugh escaping his throat.

She blinked blankly at him. Lucy for some reason couldn't get her brain kicked into gear and instead stared stupidly at him as he began to squirm.

"I don't know what to say to make this less awkward…." Natsu trailed off, looking around his cell as if it had all the answers.

Nothing. She couldn't respond. She really wanted to say something, ask something, maybe one of the few billion questions swirling around in her head but again her voice wouldn't work.

He looked back up to her, his eyebrows knitted together in worry. "Hey just… say somethin' will ya?"

Lucy felt a warm furry body against her leg and glanced down reluctantly to see the cat rubbing against her. For some reason she felt a little more at ease and lowered herself from her toes. She couldn't see the boy named Natsu any longer and for some reason that gave her enough courage for her voice to come through for her.

"If someone would've told me I'd be underground, talking to some guy being held captive by my father tonight, I would've called them crazy. In fact, I would've called the insane asylum for them." Lucy shook her head and slowly lowered herself to the ground to sit criss-cross. The cat rubbed against her back and she moved her toes around to loosen them.

Natsu broke out into a loud guffaw then, scaring Lucy half to death and causing her to nearly fall over in surprise. "W-what?" she stuttered.

"Nothin'," Natsu sighed. "You've just got spark and I like it. Plus, it's nice to get to talk with someone."

That led to one of her questions. Seriously, how long had he been down here? Why was he down here? How did he know her? How was he related to the Heartfilia family? What did he do to get put down here? Why was he being seemingly guarded by these stupid metal doors? What on earth was going on? But before she had a chance to choose a question and how to word it, the cat meowed loudly.

"Oh yeah, I see you've met my friend," Natsu smiled.

Lucy looked down to the cat and slowly reached out to scratch its head. "Your friend?"

"Mhm," Natsu replied. "Did a good job didn't he?"

"A good job?" Lucy squeaked. She figured this boy would answer some of her questions but it seemed he was just posing more the more he said.

"Yeah I sent 'im out there to get ya." Lucy's eyes widened and she could nearly feel the tension in the air. "Woah… that came out wrong too," Natsu breathed. "I'm not a freak. I promise."

For some reason Lucy actually believed him. He sounded like a down and outright stalker but something told her he had a reason… at least she hoped he did or she should probably call the police. Although what would they do? Lock him up? He was already seemingly in jail.

Natsu sighed. It seemed he was unhappy if she didn't talk. "He's mine. I've had 'im ever since I can remember. Although he succeeded in getting you down here so I'd say maybe he's your cat now. Watch out; he'll take up the spot right in the middle of your bed…" Natsu seemed to sense he was rambling and cleared his throat. "I'm assuming you brought him inside? I heard your dad say you could keep 'im."

Lucy's eyes bugged. "You _heard _that? From all the way down here?" She could've sworn Natsu's tone harshened when he'd said 'her dad' but she decided to disregard it. She could imagine why, if he'd been "imprisoned" by her father she assumed he would be bitter.

"Ahaha, yeah," Natsu breathed. "I got… real good hearing… anyway, if he's yours now, what'd you name him?"

Lucy stared in disbelief. Good hearing meant you could hear someone when they whispered to someone else, or when you could hear a conversation across a crowded room, not if you could hear a conversation probably thousands of feet away and through twelve freaking doors. What was this guy?

"Um…," Lucy muttered, looking down at the cat again as it continued to enjoy being scratched. "I hadn't really thought about naming him… maybe… I dunno… he tore my hands to pieces so maybe I should call him Menace," she smiled. The cat glared up at her with one eye while trying to pretend it suddenly didn't enjoy the petting.

Natsu let out one loud laugh. "Hear that, Happy? You're a menace." Natsu continued to snicker to himself before his laughter suddenly stopped. "Are your hands alright? I thought I smelled blood but I told myself I was wrong. He didn't really hurt you did he?"

Once again Lucy was caught off guard. "Oh, um, he got me pretty good but I'll be fine." She withdrew her hand from the cat and ran her fingers over her bandages. He'd _smelled _the blood? What the hell? "S-So his name is actually Happy?" she asked, attempting to get her mind onto something else.

"Yup. He's my little buddy, although that title might be revoked if he sliced ya up too badly." The cat let out a loud meow and Natsu chuckled. "Yeah, yeah, I'm kiddin'."

They were plunged into an awkward and unwanted silence. Lucy's brain felt as if it might explode from everything that'd happened in the past ten minutes. Had it been ten minutes? Had it been an hour? Two? She had no sense of time down here. She felt like she'd stared into the boy named Natsu's piercing eyes for a long time but maybe it'd only been a few seconds. She had no idea. She couldn't soak in all that'd happened. This just had to be some dream. People didn't just _find _hidden doors in their greenhouses with secret prisoners underground. That just didn't happen.

The key which was still clasped tightly in Lucy's left hand flared again warmly and she opened her hand to look at it. The key… the key that felt so out of place and so otherworldly gave her the same feeling his eyes had… she hadn't really begun to think it through but maybe he'd been the one to give it to her. Although if he'd been locked up down here she wasn't sure how he would've. But then again he apparently "got a cat to come and get her" for whatever reason so maybe pigs could fly and she'd sprout an extra leg too, and in that universe he could've gotten a key into her room without stepping a foot in her direction.

"This key, did you-"

"Lucy." His voice was stern as he interrupted her. "Believe me when I say there is nothing I'd rather do than speak with you for however long you'd please but for your own safety I'd suggest you go back to bed."

"W-what?" she squeaked. He sounded so sincere, like there truly was nothing else he wanted to do more and he sounded a little peeved they were being interrupted… although by what or whom Lucy couldn't guess.

"Your father will notice you're missing in about ten minutes I'd say and while I am beyond glad you came down here, and I do beg of you to come again, if you get caught I'm not sure what will happen." He sounded dead serious.

What did he mean he wasn't sure what would happen? That sounded so grim. Jude was a stern man but Lucy was absolutely certain he wouldn't do anything to harm her. "But-"

"Trust me."

She wavered for a moment before closing her mouth and shakily getting to her feet. He was a prisoner and an unnerving one at that but… she'd be dipped if she didn't feel as if she could trust him. Especially on this.

"Alright," she said quietly.

"You've got ten minutes." His voice seemed emotionless now, miles away from the grinning and homey laugh she'd witnessed a while ago.

She felt a sense of urgency now and struggled to get her mind wrapped around what was happening. She wanted to stay and continue the conversation but for some reason she did trust Natsu, and she felt as if she should heed his warning and leave. She looked back toward the metal doors to find once again a little metal panel with keyholes in it to the side.

She shuffled over and quickly, more boldly than the first time, unlocked each hole with her key. The white number 11 on the screen blinked to twelve and the doors once again shuddered to life and shot up into the ceiling. She looked back to see the cat galloping towards her and past the doors, although that wasn't what she was focused on. She stared at the metal door, her mind racing and her heart doing flip-flops of confusion as she thought about leaving. She felt as if she came down tomorrow it might all be gone, Natsu and all. It was all just too out-of-place.

"Be safe, Lucy," Natsu breathed and she took that as her cue to go.

Reluctantly she tore her eyes from the bars and the door, picturing him sitting there on the floor, leaning against the wall as he waited for her to leave. She hurried now, nearly jogging past the twelve doors as they once again slammed shut behind her with a boom loud enough to shake the earth. Only a few torches were snuffed this time and Lucy's jog broke out into a full-blown run. She sprinted, her mind completely blank as she made it to the staircase and began her ascent, taking the stairs two at a time until the light behind her slowly shrunk and she couldn't see anything once again. She was more cautious then but continued to hurry as fast as her legs could carry her. How long had it been? Five minutes? Longer? Maybe only two? She seemed to have lost any judgment of time.

She made it up and out of the staircase quicker than she'd remembered the descent being and without hesitation closed the wooden door in the floor of the greenhouse, hearing a satisfying click when it shut.

Lucy looked up to see the cat already bounding across the yard and she followed, closing the greenhouse door behind her before sprinting back around to the front of the house. The cat was scratching at the front porch and Lucy heaved the giant door open. She was grateful she'd left it unlocked and that no one had locked it since she'd left. The cat slipped inside and loped up the staircase, Lucy not far behind and yet panting. She wasn't out of shape and yet honestly taking that many stairs with her heart already pounding due to the surprise that was Natsu, she was winded.

She flew to her bedroom and slipped inside, throwing her jacket onto the floor and kicking her slippers off, before quickly climbing into bed and pulling the covers up to her nose.

Her heart was pounding and she was nearly gasping for air as she tried to listen. It'd probably been about ten minutes… at least that was her best guess. She didn't hear anything.

Lucy swallowed, taking a deep breath and finally slowing her heartrate down enough to listen properly. She was burning up now from the run, despite being freezing when she'd first left the house and having the sheets all the way over her was horrible but she felt the need to stay safely covered.

Maybe Natsu was crazy. Actually…. Natsu was definitely crazy. Maybe he could smell and hear like some weird wild animal but there was no way he could predict that her father would get up and notice she was gone in ten minutes. That was like predicting the future-

There was a tiny creak and a sliver of light from the hallway lit up her room. She snapped her eyes shut and did her best to stay perfectly still.

She heard a grunt that could only belong to her father before the door quietly clicked shut a moment later and she peered out to see she was alone once again, minus the cat which was goodness knew where.

Holy shit. A weird man underground had predicted the future and it'd come true. What the hell was he?

It was then that Lucy realized despite talking with the boy, she actually hadn't gotten a single one of her questions answered. She was still confused beyond belief, so much so in fact that she was starting to feel as if she herself was going insane. She took a deep breath. Surely there was some logical explanation for this. Something very logical and something that sounded more real than the situation seemed.

Lucy still felt as if she couldn't approach her father about it though –partly due to what Virgo had said about how secretive Jude was about the keys, and partly because of how worried Natsu had seemed- and the only other person she assumed would have answers to her seemingly unending questions would be Natsu.

Her eyes trailed off to the side. She wasn't sure what she thought about going back down there. She would've been lying if she'd said she didn't want to talk with him again, or look at him again… he was something that felt so extraordinary that she had to admit she had a hard time getting her mind onto something else.

She sighed. Well… he had kinda invited her down again. He'd said he 'begged of her' to come down to talk with him again and that was sort of like an invite, right?

She had no idea when she'd be able to find an opportunity that she was completely alone and Jude was nowhere to be found so she could go back down into the… dungeons –which sounded silly but felt accurate- but she hoped she'd find some time soon.

She really wanted answers to her questions… and she really wanted to see him again as well.

Almost as if on cue the key still clutched tightly in her hand suddenly warmed, glowing brightly once before dimming and cooling again. She had no idea what it meant, and no idea if it was related to the boy named Natsu, but she couldn't seem to help the smile twitching at her lips and the oddly comforted feeling welling in her chest.

Yes, she'd have to find some time to go and talk with him again… and soon.

* * *

**So there it is! I hope you enjoyed! I have a headcanon that Natsu goes into food comas sometimes. Headcanons are odd. But there _is _a reason as to why he was comatose, and it wasn't a food coma. Lol! **

**So they met, and talked a little bit. Poor Lucy thought she had a stalker and didn't get many answers but she will... soon... hopefully. Gotta ease into it so her brain doesn't fry. XD And yes, Happy is the cat. Although pretty much everyone already had that guessed haha! **

**I hope everything was easy to understand and if it wasn't... either ask away or wait it out! Lots of things will be cleared up as the story goes on! :D**

**And also thank you guys so so so much for the amazing reviews! They literally make my week whenever I get one! You are all so amazing! :D**

**~Foxtail-chan**


	7. The Confusion

**Chapter 7! This one is a little bit of a filler, although it'll help transition into some things. Lucy's confused and feeling a little lost but who wouldn't be? Hopefully she'll get some answers soon! :D**

**Anyway. I hope you enjoy! :D**

* * *

_**Chapter 7: The Confusion**_

With all of the commotion the past night Lucy'd been absolutely positive she wouldn't sleep a wink. Her mind was swirling with inquiries and confusion, and yet despite her ever-racing mind, she'd fallen into a deep sleep surprisingly quick.

Maybe it was how comforted she felt by the key in her hand, or maybe she was just plain exhausted from all that'd happened. Either way, it was one of the best nights of sleep she'd ever had.

Ever since she was small she'd had nights where she'd go to sleep, her head a jam-packed mess –usually with new studies she'd been taught- and the next morning she'd awake to a completely organized and steady mind. She guessed that maybe thinking about those things before she went to sleep somehow got her brain organizing during the night, and when she awoke, everything was all sorted out. Thankfully, this had been one of those nights.

All of the craziness in her brain from Natsu, the doors, and her little escapade was no longer swirling. She felt calm and collected, everything in-order, including her questions.

She'd awoken early, stretching and slowly crawling out of bed to sit by her window and watch the day unfold before her. Her window was positioned on the side of the house, and it was so large that if she scooted all the way over to the far side of the window and leaned against the wall, she could see out behind the house, including a small part of the greenhouses.

And so that's where she found herself, leaning her head against the wall and staring out at the door to the greenhouse she'd snuck into the past night, quietly thinking to herself. Her mind was more in order than yesterday, however her worries had escalated.

She'd been panicked at first, seeing and talking with him, but had quickly slipped into a sense of security. Too quickly. She wasn't entirely sure what it was about him that made her feel comfortable but whatever it was, she decided to shove it down deep.

For all she knew he was somehow taking advantage of her. Even if she felt comfortable around him and even if she actually liked talking with him to some extent –she was still rather unnerved by a few of the things he'd said, including but not limited to him having wanted to see her for quite a while, even though she had no idea who he was- she needed to stay on high-alert, because he was still in a cell. And while no, she didn't know why, she assumed the reason had to be valid. Which would make him dangerous, most likely.

Still, even mentally telling herself she needed to be wary of Natsu, it was hard. He had seemed so genuine and so lively. Maybe it was only in her mind but there was some sense of familiarity with him, something calming and needed, in a way.

Besides telling herself to still be suspicious of Natsu, she'd been focused on two other things. One, all she wanted to ask him. When she'd awoken all her questions had been in order. However, she didn't trust herself to remember all of them, and so she'd gone on a search.

Years ago she'd been given a diary –that of which she had thrown into a drawer never to touch again- and she figured a book with a lock was probably the best place to keep her questions. She found it, dubbing it a journal instead of a diary so it didn't feel so juvenile before opening it up and staring down at the blank page.

She wasn't sure why she was so worried her father would find out. Whether it was her key, or these questions she was writing down, or even the fact that she'd found his little hidden secret, she found herself absolutely terrified for him to discover any of it. Maybe it was because of the tone in Natsu's voice –how truly worried he'd sounded- when he'd warned about her father, but she really didn't want Jude to find out, at least not yet. Not until she had more information.

As Lucy began scribbling questions onto the lined paper, looking up every once in a while to stare at the greenhouse before shaking her head and busying herself with her writing, the cat slowly stretched and walked over to her.

She'd had no idea where the cat named Happy had been, but apparently he'd slept under her bed the past night as he wiggled out from underneath it to come and see her. He yawned, sitting down at her side and peering at her journal. She was positive cats couldn't read, but Happy stared at her writing with such intensity it made her question the possibility. Hell, if Natsu could hear and smell like a superhuman, maybe his cat could read too. The more she thought about it the more insane it sounded.

Everything about this sounded insane.

After she'd written out all the questions she could think of, categorizing them and leaving enough space between them for either more questions, or to write the answer, she turned to the back page, taking a deep breath and writing 'Natsu' on the top line.

That's pretty much all she knew. His name, he was trapped underneath her house, he was being held captive for some reason, he'd apparently known of her existence for quite a while and had "sent" Happy up to get her, and he had some otherworldly talent for predicting the future. That and his heightened senses but she wasn't about to write that off as a fact. Surely he'd been exaggerating or kidding or something.

His name seemed the only thing worth noting. Oh, and that Happy was his cat. She scribbled Happy's name down beneath Natsu's, drawing a tiny kitty face with whiskers beside it. The cat sighed beside her, and whether it was her imagination or not, she swore he rolled his eyes.

She snapped the journal shut, clicking the lock closed and slipping the tiny key into her pocket.

The second thing she'd been focused on, and the thing she was trying to get her mind off of, was her father.

She had no idea what Natsu could've done to get put under there. Not the slightest clue. She hoped that he hadn't done anything horrible, mainly because she didn't want to let her guard down around a criminal, but at the same time, she hoped he'd done something downright terrible. Why? Because her father had trapped him down there, and if he hadn't done anything at all, or anything too bad, it was Jude who was the criminal.

Her jaw clenched and her eyebrows pinched together as she continued to stare out her window at the greenhouse. She knew her father well. Sure, he wasn't the most loving man on the planet, but he did care for her and his family somewhere, deep down, along with people in general. She couldn't see him breaking the law and locking Natsu down there for no reason, but then again until the past day she couldn't have seen him keeping _anyone _as some sort of prisoner. In fact, she would've laughed at the thought.

Her mind began to become jumbled again the more she pondered the options.

Thankfully, someone knocked on her door, successfully breaking her of her trance. She didn't want to think about that. She didn't want to even consider the possibility her father was doing something illegal, and so the intrusion was welcomed.

"Come on in," Lucy sighed, shaking her head and bringing her legs into a criss-cross, smiling at the door as Virgo poked her head in.

Virgo smiled back, slipping through into Lucy's room and closing the door behind her. "I haven't heard a peep from you all morning," she said, sounding a little worried and a little disapproving all at the same time. She turned around to face Lucy and tilted her head to the side slightly. "I know it's the weekend but still, it's not like you to spend all day in your pajamas," Virgo said, nodding toward Lucy's garments.

"Oh," Lucy muttered. She honestly had been so caught up in her thoughts that she hadn't realized she was still wearing her sleep clothes. It was true she usually did spend a lot of time in her room on the weekends, mainly because Jude was home more often and she didn't want to get in his way, but she'd usually have gone downstairs and gotten at least a little something to eat for breakfast by now. It wasn't surprising Virgo was a little worried.

"Are you alright, Miss Lucy?" Virgo asked.

"Yeah," Lucy sighed, nodding and looking back out toward the greenhouse. She usually wasn't this down in the mornings, but she just couldn't force herself to be chipper today. She wasn't depressed, rather just so lost in thought it was hard to force her lips to form a smile. Virgo opened her mouth to press further but Lucy interrupted. "Can I ask you something?"

Virgo stared back at her, her eyebrows raising before she nodded. Lucy could tell Virgo sensed this was a serious question as her maid slowly and carefully lowered herself to sit on Lucy's bed, brushing out the wrinkles in her uniform.

"You don't think…," Lucy trailed off, making a face. "You don't think that Father would do anything bad, do you?"

Virgo sat still for a moment, her eyes fluttering, the question taking her by apparent surprise. "W-what do you mean, Miss Lucy?"

"I mean, you don't think he would do anything… illegal, do you?" She looked up at Virgo, unable to keep the pleading expression out of her eyes. She wanted her maid to scoff and say that no, there was no way Jude would do anything like that and that she should have complete faith in her father.

But then again that would mean that then if Jude wasn't the one at fault, Natsu was. And while that shouldn't be horrible, as she'd only met him the past day, it sounded horrific. She didn't want either one of them to be in the wrong. She wanted it to be some sort of unique and crazy and yet completely explainable situation that they'd all laugh at over coffee one day.

She knew it wasn't a situation like that; something in her gut just told her, but she could hope, right?

Virgo studied Lucy for a moment, pursing her lips before letting out a sigh. "I've worked for your father since you were born, Lucy. He's a harsh man, demanding and seemingly heartless at times. He'll do anything to get what he wants, and he's ruthless when it comes to business and keeping the Heartfilia name atop others'. But he owns this region and it takes resolve and determination like that to keep it well-run and under control. So I'd say it's admirable in a way."

Lucy frowned at Virgo. She hadn't answered anything. Her maid smiled at her, holding up a finger to let her know she was getting to it.

"That said, he is a good man, Miss Lucy, and I think you know that. Maybe he's uncaring at times. He's made you cry, I know, and yet I feel as if he regrets times like those. So I'd say yes and no, in that respect. He's a good person, so I'd like to say with full certainty that no, he wouldn't do anything bad or illegal, but if he truly believed it was something that the benefits would outweigh the cost, unfortunately I think he might." Virgo watched Lucy carefully, her eyes full of empathy. "However, Miss Lucy, no matter how long I've worked for him, not only does he continue to surprise me, but I also know you know him much better than I do. So I think no matter what I say, you probably have a better answer to your own question."

Lucy nodded solemnly down at her lap. She'd figured as much. She also had the same outlook on it that Virgo did. She knew her father well, but sometimes he'd do something so uncharacteristic that she'd wonder if she knew him at all. Holding a prisoner underground would be one of those times, but surely there was some sort of explanation. Surely.

Virgo cleared her throat. "If you don't mind me asking… why did you want to know? That's a very odd question."

"I was just… curious," Lucy said carefully, forcing a smile onto her face as she looked up at Virgo.

The maid frowned in her direction, and as if reading her mind said, "You found out something about those keys, didn't you, Miss Lucy?"

It was more of a statement than a question and Lucy's heart thumped nervously in her chest. Had she been that transparent? If Virgo could take a wild guess and hit the nail on the head, what about her father? She was worried he'd find out, find the key, find the journal, but maybe he'd be able to tell just by the look on her face or the tone of her voice. She knew for a fact it would be hard to act normal around him now, although she vowed to do her best.

Virgo smiled as she realized she'd guessed correctly. "I'm not going to ask anything about it, because quite honestly, I don't want to know. And even if I did, I would get in very deep trouble if Jude found out. I'm a little afraid to think of the type of punishment I'd receive." Even though her words made it sound like she didn't want that punishment, the dreamy look on her face suggested otherwise.

"Thank you," Lucy sighed. She didn't exactly want to tell anyone about it. At least not yet. If there was anyone she _would _entrust with the information however, it would probably be Virgo. But she needed to get her own mind wrapped around the situation before she shared it with someone else.

Virgo nodded. "I don't know what you found but if it was good news, which by the look on your face I'm assuming it wasn't, I'd say congratulations. If it was bad news I hate to say it, but I told you so Miss Lucy. I told you not to go looking after those keys or what they meant or even what the one _you_ have means." She raised an eyebrow at Lucy before pointing a finger at her. "Jude doesn't suspect anything as of now, so don't do anything to make him suspicious. I still don't know how he'd react if he realized you discovered those keys, but I don't want to find out." Virgo stood and slowly made her way over to the door. "You're my favorite Heartfilia heir and I don't want anything happening to you."

Lucy unamusedly glared at her back. She was the _only _Heartfilia heir. However the meaning of Virgo's words was sweet, she guessed. It seemed Virgo had the same feeling she had when it came to Jude finding out about how much she knew about the keys. It was nice to know at the very least she wasn't the only one being overly cautious.

Virgo turned the handle, sashaying through the doorway and looking back to Lucy with a wink. "C'mon, get some clothes on and come get something to eat." She smiled, looking Lucy up and down. "And let's turn that frown upside down as well."

* * *

**0=0=0=0=0=0**

* * *

It'd been a long day. Lucy had taken heed to Virgo's words, dressing herself and warily leaving her room. As much as she didn't want to think about Jude and Natsu, and as much as her brain seemed fried from thinking it over so much, it was hard to leave the place where she could watch the greenhouse.

It was silly. No one was going in or out of it and it wasn't like Natsu was just going to prance out into broad daylight. She wasn't missing anything if she left, but nonetheless it was difficult tearing her eyes from the place.

She'd eaten and socialized with the help. She'd assisted in picking out a new color to paint the dining hall which Jude had decided to remodel for some reason and her measurements were taken for a new outfit. She had no idea why she needed to be fitted for clothes, but with her mind jam-packed with thoughts of Natsu and the keys, she didn't ask or protest.

A few people asked her if she was alright. She seemed down to them, but she reassured everyone she was alright, just not feeling so well. Which wasn't entirely a lie. She didn't feel well; she felt sick to her stomach the more she went over the possibility of her father being a criminal. It wasn't the reason she was so unsociable –that was simply because she was so lost in thought- but it was a good excuse to get people off her case.

They all nodded and let her be when she said she wasn't feeling well, some offering to make her soup or draw her a warm bath. She declined.

The only one who seemed she understood was Virgo, who shooed away the other maids and butlers when they began asking Lucy questions about how she was feeling.

Lucy was thankful. Even though Virgo had no idea what sort of mystery the keys held –hell, Lucy didn't entirely know, either. She only knew that they led to Natsu- it was nice to have someone who was at least clued in.

Virgo had said that the help knew of the keys, however few had seen them and not a single soul knew what they were for. However, since sharing with Virgo that she'd received a key of her own, and that she was going to go after what they meant, it was almost like she had someone to share her confusions with.

Even if Virgo still had no idea what Jude was hiding. How would her family's employees react if they found out about Natsu? Would they be shocked and appalled? Or maybe they already knew about him and were just playing dumb? Lucy had no idea.

After the long seemingly never-ending day began coming to a close, Lucy dragged herself back up to her bedroom. She hadn't seen or heard her father throughout the entire day. On weekends he tended to stay home, usually holed up in his office, but usually she saw him at least once, even if it was only in passing. Not that she was complaining; she still didn't know how she'd react when she saw him in-person after finding out all he was hiding.

The more she thought about it the more she began to feel she didn't know her father at all.

She stared up at the moon outside her window, sighing and tsking to herself.

Maybe she was thinking about this the entirely wrong way. She was moping, depressed and so engrossed in her own thoughts she barely knew what was going on around her.

She was Lucy Heartfilia. She was known for her upbeat attitude and willingness to take problems head-on. She'd inherited her family's fighting spirit, after all.

She shouldn't be looking at worst case scenario. It seemed like there wasn't going to be a good outcome to whatever the ordeal with Natsu was, but there was a possibility. She found it hard to believe both her father _and _Natsu could both not be in the wrong, but still… it wasn't completely out of the question.

She balled her hands into determined fists. She didn't know really much of anything about it and yet she'd automatically jumped to what the worst outcome could be. That wasn't her attitude. She needed to be positive and inquisitive, finding answers to her questions and coming to know more about what the situation was before she made any judgement. That was the Lucy Heartfilia way. After everything was out on the table, then she could make her decision on whether or not she thought her father was guilty of something, or Natsu for that matter.

It still felt a little weird to be so worried that Natsu had done something wrong. He was a practical stranger and yet she was hoping for his innocence. She told herself it was simply because she didn't want to be underground talking with someone who had done something worthy of being locked down there, but somehow she felt it was something more. Yes, it was beyond creepy that he'd apparently known who she was before she knew he was, but still… before she jumped to conclusions she'd let him explain himself. It was the least she could do.

She gave herself a nod before stomping over and throwing on a jacket, a very new sense of overwhelming determination and a dash of excitement taking over her. She'd go down there again tonight. She'd take her journal full of questions and she'd get some answers.

At first she'd been hesitant to go back the very next day. She figured she needed a little time to take it all in and desensitize herself to the situation. But after more thought she assumed that maybe she was wrong. She needed to take the bull by the horns and go down there as soon as possible. After all, she hadn't gotten too much time to talk with Natsu the past night, and if that's all the time she got per day, it would take at least a few visits to get all the information she needed out of him.

That said, she wasn't any less frightened. It was scary, going down there. She assumed it wouldn't be as scary as the first time, but still… going underground to see some freak behind bars? Anyone in their right mind would be afraid.

And so to help calm her nerves she clicked her tongue, looking for the cat. Happy was an odd sense of security. Especially down there. The cat seemed to know exactly what he was doing, so the thought of having a little guide with her seemed very welcome.

Happy crawled out from underneath her bed again. She'd laid out blankets and a few cat toys that one of her maids had bought at the store on her request, but Happy seemed more than pleased to just sit under her bed all day. Lazy cat.

He looked up at her with question, apparently sensing her newfound determination.

"Alright little guy, I'm going back down. Everyone should be asleep by now so we'll do it just like last night, right? You wanted me to go down there, so I'm assuming you'd be up for being my guide again." She smiled, walking toward the door. "I gotta find out the answers to some of these questions."

The cat had stared blankly at her but the instant her hand hit the doorknob, he sprang into action. She opened the door, hearing his paws thumping on the carpet behind her and waiting for him to lead the way. However, much to her shocked surprise, he skidded around into the hallway, turning to face her before puffing up to nearly twice his size and hissing.

"Oh jeez!" Lucy squeaked, stumbling backwards into her room and away from Happy as he began spitting and batting at her toes. His claws weren't out, but she got the message. "What the hell?" she whispered. "I thought you wanted me to go down and see him." What was up with this cat?

Happy continued to spit and pounce, backing her back into her room. As soon as she was far enough inside, he calmed down, gently sitting in her doorway and licking a paw.

She stared at him, frowning and stomping towards him.

Once again he puffed, growling and chattering angrily at her as she neared the hallway. She once again stumbled back into her room as he began springing on her toes, hitting them with gusto, his claws still sheathed.

She had been angry the first time, but she took a closer look at him this time as he once again settled back down to begin cleaning himself.

"Do you not want me to go back down?" He looked up and met her eyes, his glowing orbs staring straight into her soul. "But you literally led me down there yesterday."

She continued to stare at him, his tail swishing across the carpet as his glare bore into her. He blinked once, and as if reading his mind she somehow had a sense of what he wanted. The look in his eyes, so steady and stern… he wanted her to trust him.

She got the same exact feeling in her heart, sinking into her stomach, that she'd had when Natsu had told her to trust him. The feeling that beyond all realm of reasonable thinking, she actually did trust him. She shouldn't… everything told her not to… but she did.

And so she sighed, looking at the cat with pleading eyes before gently shutting the door, Happy trotting inside before it closed behind him.

She sat down in the middle of her room, leaning her head in her hands and trying to make sense of everything. Why? Why change now? He'd been so determined to lead her to Natsu yesterday, and Natsu had invited her back… why was it now he didn't want her going down?

It was stressful. Stressful and confusing. Everything was. She felt like she was either going insane or was going to be torn apart from the inside-out with all of the conflicting emotions she had.

It was a situation so bizarre. Nothing close to anything she thought she'd go through in her life. She felt alone. She couldn't talk with anyone about it, even if she still didn't have a real clue as to what was going on.

And as if on cue, her back began to warm, the key tucked down the back of her dress bursting to life and emanating a heat that was hot, but didn't burn. So many times that heat had given her comfort, although she'd still yet to figure out why, and this time wasn't any different.

She felt like she was breaking down, like she was imagining things and the next day not only would Happy be gone, but the greenhouse's door in the floor and her key as well. Like this was all some sort of dream that she was dreaming while she was awake. But with the slight pulse of heat from the key, only for a few seconds, she felt comforted.

Her heart still felt conflicted, and her head was pounding with a throbbing headache that'd been growing all day, but she felt better. She felt in control and that no, she wasn't crazy, she had simply been thrown into a seemingly unreal situation that most likely had an explanation.

And she didn't know why Happy didn't want her to leave her room, but she did trust him, and she needed to focus on that.

She ran a hand through her hair, staring out the window again at the moon, a smile slowly twitching at her lips. "Thank you," she whispered. She wasn't sure why she'd said it, or who she was talking to. The key had made her feel so at ease she felt the need to say it, and while talking to an inanimate object was something crazy enough for her to question her own sanity, it didn't feel like she was talking to a key. It felt alive, and while no, she had no idea who made it or what it meant, she had her suspicions.

The key pulsed again, sending one last wave of warmth down her spine and her smile grew because she knew deep in her heart what it'd meant.

_'__You're welcome.'_

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**So there it is! I hope you liked it! It was a little bit of an odd chapter, and I hope it wasn't too confusing or too repetitive. I just wanted to get across that she's having some real internal conflict, between routing for her father and Natsu (even though she doesn't know why she should be routing for him). That and bearing a secret like that all on her own has to take its toll.**

**And then of course Happy is blocking her now. Let's hope he has a good reason or Lucy'll turn him into kitty cat stew. XD And then of course Lucy has her gut feelings on a few things, such as how grave the situation is, and then towards the end who gave her the key. *wiggly eyebrows***

**Thank you so much for all the absolutely amazing reviews. I know I say it every chapter but I really do mean it. Every single one, no matter how long or short makes me swoon and I relish in them forever. You guys really do make my day. :D**

**~Foxtail-chan**


	8. The Questions

**Hello there~! Chapter 8 it is! Time for Lucy to get some answers!  
I'm personally on vacation right now (woot woot) however I had this all typed up on my computer so I decided to post it anyway. Not sure why I shared that... but I did. Haha. XD  
**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoy! :D**

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_**Chapter 8: The Questions**_

This cat was going to be the death of her. She couldn't understand how his unrivaled gusto to get her down to Natsu had changed literally overnight. She'd tried again, multiple times, to leave and go to the greenhouses at night, but each time Happy had freaked, hissing and spitting and smacking at her until she retreated into her room.

This cat had to have lost his marbles.

She tried to understand his reasoning. Talking to a cat seemed crazy, and after she'd asked him for nearly the one hundredth time why he didn't want her going down there, she finally stared into space and realized she was _talking to a cat_. Yes, a cat that seemingly understood her perfectly, but also a cat that couldn't speak and answer her questions. She wasn't getting anywhere.

On the third night of Happy turning into the doorkeeper from hell, she tried to reason with him. She told him she'd get him treats, fish, toys, whatever he wanted. And while the mention of fish did make him pause for a moment, he kept it up.

She wasn't entirely sure what to do. She didn't know why he was stopping her, and she couldn't convince him to calm down. What else did she have? She guessed she could go past him anyway, ignoring his warnings. He didn't have his claws out so she figured he wouldn't actually hurt her. Maybe he was just advising.

And so on the sixth night, she decided to try it. It'd been nearly an entire week since she'd seen Natsu for the first time, and as the days wore on, the more she wanted to see him again. Not necessarily _him _but to ask some questions. She felt a little more confident now, a little more in-control and not so lost. She was ready to see him again… but Happy wasn't getting the message.

She dawned tennis shoes, throwing on a jacket and doing a few quick stretches as Happy looked on with a bored expression. Yes, she would overcome this tiny menace of a cat. Her hands had nearly healed from the scratches from the bath she'd administered upon him, so she could do this.

She clapped her hands to her cheeks. "Alright!" And she stalked toward the door.

When she opened it, once again as if on cue, Happy turned into a whirlwind of fur, flying at a record speed into the hallway and puffing up to the size of a balloon. His tail and back arched and he spat angrily at her feet, smacking her shoes.

Hah. She'd won. She could hardly feel his swats through her sneakers.

For a moment they engaged one another in what she could only describe as a very heated dance. She'd step to one side, he'd mimic her, hissing louder and whacking at her feet. She'd step to the other, he'd follow, growling loudly and hitting her harder. She tried to step over him, he reared up on his hind legs, throwing his paws out like a seasoned boxer as she tried to pass.

"Dammit cat just let me through, will you?" she hissed.

Happy growled angrily at her for a second more before sitting back, his fur settling down as he watched her carefully. They stared at one another, completely still as they tried to size the other up.

Lucy was positive she'd won when Happy let out a huff, shaking his small head once before trotting back into her bedroom, but upon walking into the hallway, realized that in fact she'd most definitely lost.

Maybe she'd won the battle for the hallway, but the instant she began actually going through with her plan, she froze. She didn't want to go down there alone. Hell, it was scary enough with Happy accompanying her but alone? No way.

She slowly backed up to her doorway, looking inside to find Happy stretched out on her bed. "I'm going," she said, stepping in place and waiting for a reaction. Nothing. "Alright, I'm off to see Natsu," she hissed, trying to keep her voice quiet enough so that no one else would overhear. The cat didn't budge. "_Dammit!_" She sent a death glare towards the cat as she walked back into her room, frustratedly closing the door. Happy had called her bluff, and she'd be dipped if she didn't feel absolutely inadequate. A cat had outsmarted her. She was really losing her touch.

She flopped down on her bed, kicking off her shoes and angrily throwing her jacket across the room. "What's your deal, huh? Are you just gonna lead me down there one day and then never again? Just give me that much so that I'm so confused and curious I can hardly sleep and then that's it? That's mean, you know," she grumbled, throwing back the covers of the bed and sending Happy flying.

She climbed in, pulling them up to her nose and glaring at the feline across the room. Stupid cat. Maybe she should put him back outside if he was going to refuse to help her. Natsu was his real owner anyway… although she couldn't help the fact that she'd somehow become accustomed to the creature, even if he was a pain in the butt.

Happy stared at her, shaking out his fur and offendedly looking her way as if he was truly appalled that she would kick him off of her bed. He blinked once, his eyes glowing in the nearly dark room before he coughed, trotting back over to her bed and hopping up beside her.

He sat, half on one of her arms and leaned down, his face so close to hers that their noses were nearly touching. Her eyes widened in surprise and she was stunned silent.

The cat blinked again, looking back and forth to both of her eyes before sending out one last cough, and hopping back down off of the bed to crawl underneath it.

She stared at the ceiling, bewildered. As much as she wanted to ask what the hell that'd been, she knew. Once again he simply wanted her to trust him. Although now, after nearly a week, trust was becoming incredibly frustrating.

She'd gotten a fitful night's sleep that night, just as she had the past five. Rushing dreams of corridors and jail cells plagued her mind. She knew her lack of sleep was noticeable. Maybe she was a little quieter, or maybe she grumbled to herself more often, but she knew the others in the household could notice the difference. She hadn't been confronted about it yet, but she knew they noticed.

Virgo still seemed as ever-knowing as ever, giving her tea among other things to help her relax when she looked stressed. She was positive her maid wouldn't ask further about the keys, and she was still grateful… although part of her wanted Virgo to break down and beg to know. It felt sort of wrong pretending like nothing had happened when she was around other people.

And so it was a ray of hope, very nervous hope, when she dawned her jacket and tennis shoes again the next night, only to have Happy trot after her calmly into the hallway.

Lucy's mouth dropped agape as she stared at the cat slowly sauntering past her and making it down the hallway without hesitation.

"_What_ is your _deal_?" she whispered to herself, staring after him. The past night he'd still been as adamant as ever, but tonight he acted like there wasn't a problem in the world. Why now? This cat had to be bipolar.

However, as much as she wanted to wring the cat's neck for being so finicky, she couldn't help the excited nervousness boiling in her stomach as she quietly shut her door and shuffled after him. This was what she'd been wanting to do for an entire week. Her hand rested on the journal in her pocket as she hurried down the staircase after the cat. Tonight would be the night she'd finally get some answers. She just knew it.

She'd gone over her first trek down to Natsu hundreds, if not thousands of times in her head the past week. However, the actual journey down seemed a little quicker this time.

Maybe it was because she felt more like she knew what she was doing, or maybe it'd simply felt like it'd taken forever the first time because of her nerves –which were still there, just a little more subdued- but either way, it seemed much faster.

She opened the door in the greenhouse's floor without hesitation, jogging down the steps -even as it turned pitch black- unlike before when it'd taken all the courage she had to even creep down at a snail's pace.

Around halfway down she grabbed the key from around her neck, holding it tight both for reassurance and also because she knew she'd be needing it soon.

She took long strides once she'd reached the torch-lit corridor, making her way to the steel doors in what she considered a decent amount of time. Maybe the venture down to see Natsu wouldn't be that big of a deal after all. She'd thought it would take her forever just to get down there again, and that going to talk with him was way out of her way, but if she made the trip at the same quick pace she had this time… It was totally doable.

She didn't want to think about the times in the future when she'd meet him, though… It seemed wrong to assume she would just come down here and talk with him during multiple visits. She wanted to assume she would only see him tonight and that was it, but a different part of her wanted to make it a regular thing…

What was wrong with her?

She tried to pass it off as her own curiosity over the situation, although she knew it was a different curiosity. He was a fascinating person. Maybe what he'd said was a little weird, but his voice and his laugh felt so comfortable that she found it interesting. Not to mention his appearance, which was so fantastical and wild-looking that it made her heart beat fast in her chest.

The little green light blinked when she'd unlocked the twelfth door and once again, all of the metal doors hoisted themselves up into the ceiling. Happy led the way again, trotting gracefully through the passage as she followed.

She made it through in good time, flinching as the doors all came down with a deafening bang. The cannon-like shot of air once again burst through, however this time one torch survived. And while it was much dimmer than with all of them, she could still make out the bars of the cage he was within, as well as the metal wall behind them and the steel door with the small opening she'd looked through to see him the past visit.

She took in a sharp breath as she spotted two eyes peering out through the opening. She could see only from his hairline down to just below his nose but she felt the grin on his face.

His eyes seemed to glow, the firelight dancing in his pupils as he looked her up and down. "Yo."

All of the questions she vowed to ask him right away suddenly vanished from her mind, instead her lips forming a very quiet. "H-Hey."

He let out a laugh, looking truly beyond elated. "Nice to see ya again. Glad you came." His eyes flickered to the snuffed torches on the walls and he sighed. Once again that warm breeze she'd felt before, the one when it'd been completely pitch black the first time, brushed past her skin, and like clockwork the dead torches came to life, fire growing and creating dancing shadows on the walls.

She stared at the fire, swallowing nervously. So this was his doing? Had he made that wind? It seemed so… but surely not. They were probably on a sensor or something that emitted a spark when it sensed they were out. At least she hoped so.

He cleared his throat, apparently eager to attract her attention again. "Hey, lookie we can talk eye-to-eye this time."

Reluctantly she tore her gaze from the torches, staring back at him through the slot in the door. The small metal bars in the eye-level opening obstructed some of her view of him, but not too much. She nodded. "You said you couldn't stand before because you were full?" It sounded silly.

He let out a chuckle. "Yup, delicious meal if I do say so myself." He licked his lips as if to accentuate his point. His teeth were white, blindingly so, and she swore she saw an elongated fang when he'd opened his mouth. Surely not. Really, by now with all the weird things she'd seen and heard regarding him, she was probably just imagining things.

That's right… she wanted some answers from him. Her features steeled and an eyebrow of his raised as he noticed the difference in her. "Enough chit-chat. I have some questions for you." She took the journal from her pocket, shouldering off her jacket and tossing it to the side. It was cold when she'd first entered the corridor, although standing close to his cell it suddenly became uncomfortably warm.

Her eyes trailed to the left, the small archway leading down into a dark hallway catching her attention. She'd noticed it the first time -although it looked incredibly uninviting- but she hadn't paid it much attention once she'd met Natsu. Her full attention had been on him. Maybe that's where the heat was coming from… She shook her head to clear it. That wasn't what she needed to be thinking about now.

Natsu tilted his head. "Woah, someone means business, eh?" It was a teasing statement, but she paid it no mind.

"You will… answer some questions, right?" Maybe she should've been a little more kind about it. She had no idea whether he'd cooperate or not. Surely he would though… if she was personable about it.

She didn't know him, and yet somehow she felt like she did. She felt like she knew he would cooperate if she was kind, as if she'd known that forever. She felt like she knew he didn't take things too seriously, even in the situation he was in, and she felt like she knew he didn't like things too serious, either. She didn't know him at all, and yet she felt like she knew at least those things about him, for some reason.

Maybe she was a good judge of character? She didn't know. Or maybe he was transparent. Whatever it was, it felt weird and wrong to feel like she knew him, and yet so undeniably right.

Natsu's head bobbed and she knew he'd shrugged. "Yeah, sure. You'll answer my questions too though, right?"

"_Your _questions?" she coughed, staring at him in disbelief. What on earth kinds of questions would he have? She was the one who should be curious, not him.

"Don't worry; they're not hard," he grinned. And once again that childish smile made her feel a little more at ease. What was wrong with her? Or what was wrong with him? She really wanted to have her guard up but with that smile she just… couldn't. It was so innocent.

She huffed. "Fine, yeah whatever I will."

"Alrighty, hit me with all ya got then," he said, nodding.

She was a little unnerved but quickly snapped open the lock on the journal nonetheless, turning to the first page and staring down at some of the first questions she'd written. She cleared her throat. "Alright… answer me honestly… What did you do to get put down here?"

She carefully looked up to him to find his entire expression and aura had changed. He looked pained, in a way, his eyebrows curving upward in the middle as he stared at her like a puppy who'd been scolded. He looked to the side. "I-I can't tell ya that."

He couldn't tell her that? "But you said you'd answer my questions," she said, unable to keep the disappointment out of her voice. So much for this. The very first question and he didn't answer her. She'd never know what was going on at this rate.

"I'm sorry but… I just can't."

"Why?"

He looked back to her, somehow his already pained expression turning even more aggrieved. "Because…," he bit his lip, looking a tad frustrated. "Because I just can't!" He sounded unsatisfied, as if he wanted to tell her but something big was holding him back.

Her jaw clenched and unclenched. She wanted to be upset, but his face… she sensed there really was something holding him back from saying. She somehow couldn't get up the energy to be angry with him. Instead, she shifted her question. "Look, whatever you did do… is it… something bad?"

He leaned his forehead against the door, his eyes still locked on her. "I don't know?"

"What?" she groaned. "You don't know?"

"You gotta be a little more specific," he sighed, rocking his forehead from side to side on the door. "I think you've already guessed but I- we're in sort of a unique situation here."

She stepped backward at the notion that _they_ were in something together. Yes, she had already inferred that this wasn't just your everyday situation. It wasn't run of the mill to have a boy locked underground, let alone one like… him. However, he insinuated they were in it together? Something about that unnerved her further.

"Y-You didn't kill someone did you?" she gulped. There. She could get specific if he needed her to.

She jumped, startled as he burst out into loud peals of laughter, shoving off of the door and out of the small window's sight. "You're funny, Lucy."

She blinked, curiosity overtaking her as she jogged to the door, standing on her tip-toes to look inside. There he was, hunched over and laughing. "B-But you didn't, did you?"

He looked up to her, gasping for air from the "joke" she'd apparently just told. She didn't see how that could be considered funny… maybe he was insane or something. Insane people laughed for no reason, and that would also be a reason for being held in solitary…

"No. No I didn't _kill _anyone. Don't be silly."

She heaved a sigh of relief, her expression soon turning sour as she stared down at him, still laughing. It hadn't been _that _funny. Maybe he knew he wouldn't kill anyone but she didn't. How would she? Only then did she notice that his garments had changed since the past week. He still wore the tattered clothing he'd had then, but beyond that, there was now a white scarf wrapped around his neck. At least she assumed it was originally white -it was really rather grubby-looking now. It looked interesting… as if it wasn't made of fabric at all but some sort of… hide, or leather or scales or something.

He looked up at her, his laughter finally ceasing. She decided to press further. "You didn't hurt anyone, did you?"

"Nope," he piped, walking back over towards the door. He was fast, his face approaching her own, much quicker than she'd expected. She backed away immediately, stepping backward a few paces as he again peered through the opening. Apparently there was some sort of shelf on his side, because she could just barely see as he lifted his arms, resting them near the opening and leaning to look through.

She was surprised, her heart beating a little faster. She'd only been a few inches away from the slot, and yet he'd not been hesitant in the least to come right up to it. If she wouldn't have moved they would've been close enough they could've touched noses. He could've _touched_ her. While she did feel a little at ease with him, the thought of him actually having some sort of access to her, whether it was just enough to touch, or perhaps if he could grab her, sent her into a panic. He was nice, at least from afar, but who knew what his intentions would be when they were up close. Maybe he was luring her in so he could harm her in some way. It was scary.

She tried to work through her pounding heart, swallowing thickly as she clutched her hands to keep them from shaking. She didn't want him to notice she'd been scared, even if only for a brief second. "S-So you didn't do anything to anyone else to get put in here?"

He shook his head. "Nope. Not at all." And she believed him. He watched her for a second, his eyes trailing down to her clutched hands before he sighed. Had he noticed her fear? "Why I'm down here…," He swallowed, sounding as if he were picking his words very carefully. "It isn't anything I could've helped. It isn't because I did anything to anyone else… or because of something I _did_ really… in general. It's more of a…," he huffed irritatedly, as if he couldn't find the words. "It's just something special… But to answer your first question, no… I don't think it's anything bad, or anything… you'd consider to be bad," he said carefully.

Although his words should've put her at ease, his tone didn't match what he was saying. He sounded unsure, as if he truly didn't know if what he'd done, or whatever had happened to put him down here, was something she'd consider as negative or not. She swallowed.

"So… it's not your fault you're down here?" she peeped.

His eyes snapped to hers, holding the same intensity they had when she'd first looked at him. She squeaked lightly, her throat clenching as she once again inched backward on instinct.

"My fault?" he asked. She nodded. "Be more clear."

"U-Um, well," she stuttered, clutching the journal in her hands and fiddling with the pages. "You know. In order for you to have been… sealed up here in this… jail thing," she said awkwardly, "either you must've done something wrong, or…" She hated to say it. She really didn't want to say it. "Or my father is the one in the wrong. He's the one who put you down here, right?"

Natsu nodded once. "Yeah, he is." His gaze softened as did the sharpness in his voice. "I don't know how much of an imagination ya have, Lucy but… really in this instance there ain't clear lines." He looked up to her, apparently noticing the confusion on her face and continuing. "I don't think I did anythin' wrong. However, as much as I hate ta admit it… I don't think your father did either."

"Eh?" she peeped, uncomprehending.

Natsu sighed impatiently. "I mean yeah, he's a total jerk and I really do hate him, but those are for my own reasons. Not this. I don't think either of us did anything wrong, whether it was me doing something to get myself put down here, or him locking me up. Neither of us are in the wrong in that respect, but in other situations I guess we both are…" He looked to the side, his own thoughts taking over and his voice going silent.

How was it that the more he said, the more confused she was? He was answering her question, in a way, which put some things to rest, but at the same time was raising more inquiries. "What other situations?" she asked.

She saw his jaw clench. "Nothing I could've helped," he said quietly. "Definitely something he shouldn't have done," he hissed. Malice laced through his voice, his words dangerously cold as they sent a shiver down her spine. There were a few moments of silence, complete and utter silence that seemed a little painful before suddenly his face changed, a smile once again engulfing his features as he grinned out at her. "But that's not important right now. You asked if I did anything wrong to get put down here and I guess the answer is no." He seemed pleased that he had somehow come up with a response to her question.

"S-So Father didn't do anything wrong either?"

Natsu shrugged. "No, not in putting me down here, no."

It felt like a gigantic weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Sure he'd definitely said some things that not only worried her but piqued her curiosity as well, but he had answered one thing. And that one thing had been the question that'd been keeping her up at night since she'd first visited the odd boy.

Natsu hadn't done anything wrong… and neither had her father. Both of them were not in the wrong. From what Natsu said it sounded like with whatever situation he was in, there wasn't a black and white, more of a large grey area which was why he didn't know how to answer her question.

And while black and white things made things easier, grey made it so perhaps both parties, both sides of the story, weren't all to blame. Which was honestly all she'd hoped for since she somehow cared for both sides. Her father in a familial standpoint and Natsu in a… For curiosity's sake. Yes, she'd leave it at that. He was curious.

"'Kay now I get to ask a question, right?"

She was immediately snapped out of her thoughts, her eyes growing wide as she mechanically nodded. That'd been their agreement. Oh she hoped he wouldn't ask anything… weird, or personal, or just… anything she didn't want to answer.

His eyes trailed down her figure. "Alrighty then. How are your hands doing?"

"Huh?" She slowly brought her hands up to look at them. "Oh, you mean where Happy scratched me?" That's right, the last time she'd been down here she'd had them all bandaged up. They were better now. Maybe a little sore and she was positive some of the scratches would scar, but they were better.

Natsu nodded. "They're healing, right?" He sounded genuine, as if he was truly worried about her wounds.

"U-Uh, y-yeah," she said, taken off-guard. "Yeah, they're doing much better. He got me good but… they're gonna be fine."

"Do they still hurt?" he asked.

Why on earth would he care? "Yeah, they ache a little but they'll be fine. Really." She gave him a smile and an awkward laugh. It felt odd to have someone this concerned.

He glanced over to the side. "Hey, you ever apologize?" he snapped. Lucy looked over to find Happy, laying down next to the wall seemingly without a care in the world. His head raised to look at Natsu as he sensed he was being addressed, staring at his master before looking back over to Lucy and sending another little cough her way, although this one seemed weak and maybe a little… sarcastic, even if that sounded insane.

"Um…," she mumbled, looking to Natsu. Was she supposed to respond to that little cough?

His eyes were still on Happy. "Oy, no need to get snippy," he huffed. "You're gonna be a fur rug if you shred her hands again." His tone was harsh but Lucy could tell he was kidding.

Happy seemingly rolled his eyes before settling his head back down onto his paws.

"Did he…?"

"Yeah, he apologized in his own way," Natsu said, letting out a chuckle. "He really is an awesome cat, I swear."

A smile twitched at her lips. "Yeah, I know. We've had our qualms but I can sense he's a sweetie." She watched Happy for a bit, trying to ignore Natsu's gaze which she could feel boring into her. Apparently it wasn't only in looking at him that his eyes seemed intense. If she didn't know better she would've sworn her skin would burst into flames where he was staring at her. Those eyes of his could probably be felt miles away. It was freaky. "So that was your question?" she asked. "You can have another one if you want since that one was kinda…" She trailed off, unsure of how to put it. It didn't seem like he really gained anything from that.

"Ooh really?" He sounded excited. "Alright, hmm… Oh here we go. What's your favorite color?"

"What?!" she screeched, her voice a little louder than she'd meant it to be. What the hell kind of question was that? She hadn't considered their meeting as a "getting to know you" session –granted she didn't know what she _would _call it- which was what this was starting to feel like.

He appeared shocked. "I-I was just curious. Is it a secret?"

"No! It's not a secret; that's just a weird question."

He stared blankly at her, apparently uncomprehending. "I thought that's what people asked other people when they met…"

"I-It is, it's just… I thought you'd have something more serious to ask." She watched as his face stayed completely still, his eyes holding nothing but confusion. She shook her head, waving a hand to dismiss him. "Never mind, it's fine. My favorite color is yellow."

"Yellow?" Natsu asked, cocking his head. "Why's that?"

"I dunno," she said, shrugging. "I always liked looking up at the moon and the stars… and they all seemed yellow. Maybe kinda white but I always associated the color yellow with them, so it became my favorite."

"Huh." He sounded genuinely fascinated by her answer.

"Why, what's your favorite color?" She was a little hesitant to hear the answer, but she felt like she needed to reciprocate the question. Whenever people asked simple things like that… it was polite to ask the same of them.

His eyebrows raised. "Ooh, I dunno," he grinned. "Never really thought about it. I guess probably either orange or red. Naw, definitely red."

"And why's that?" she asked, unable to keep the smug smirk off of her face as his eyebrows scrunched, trying to find the answer. If he could spring weird questions like why she liked the color yellow onto her, she could do the same.

"Hmm, cuz that's the color o' fire, right?" He nodded adamantly. "Yup, really hot fire."

She couldn't help but smile, even though she felt like she should probably ask him if he was a pyromaniac or something first. He liked fire enough for it to be his favorite color… "You like fire then?"

"You bet. Beautiful, ain't it?"

Her gaze traveled back to the torches on the wall, watching the flames flicker against the wall before nodding. "Yeah, I guess it's sort of pretty." She heard him sigh, somehow sounding as if he was relieved she thought so too, or perhaps he was just admiring the flames. She wasn't sure.

Lucy opened her journal again, her eyes scanning the first question she'd asked Natsu and moving onto the next. Right, she needed to get to it. But before she could start, she was interrupted.

"Lucy." Just as when the first time she'd visited, his voice had suddenly lost all life and luster, turning cold and serious as she looked up to him. "Once again I would really love to continue this conversation but it'd be best if you leave."

She blinked. "Is it..?"

He nodded. "Your father will notice you're missing in around ten minutes again."

"But how do you-"

"I'll tell you some other time," he said, his eyes turning merry for a moment. "And there will be other times, right?"

"Yeah." The word had come out without her even thinking it over. Without even pondering over the question of whether or not she'd come back down to see him, she'd somehow made up her mind. She would definitely come back. Whether it was her questions or his weird charisma, she didn't know, but she _would _be back.

He nodded. "Good. Then you best be on your way."

With a bit of hesitation she grabbed her jacket from the floor, shoving her arms through the holes, all the while keeping her eyes locked with his. The first time she'd been down she'd felt an overwhelming sense of panic when he'd told her to leave. And while yes, she did feel incredibly rushed and afraid this time, it wasn't as strong. If Jude hadn't done anything wrong in keeping Natsu down here, then why would he be afraid for her to find out?

However, the look in Natsu's eyes suggested that there was a very real danger in having her father find out she was down, socializing with their captive. And so while her heart told her to stay, to question further, she took his warning and turned to leave.

"Oh," she sighed, turning back to him, his eyes holding frustration as to why she wasn't hurrying to leave. "One more thing…" She held up her key, the firelight reflecting beautifully off of its glowing surface. "Did you give this to me?"

Natsu faltered for only a moment before nodding, his eyes still just as intense and worried as before. "Yes. Yes I did." It appeared he sensed her hesitance and curiosity towards more questions. "Listen I'll tell you that next time, okay?"

She gritted her teeth. She wanted to know _now. _How had he gotten up there to give it to her? Where had he gotten it from? What _was _it and what did it mean? But the intensity in his eyes made her shove all those questions back down inside, instead giving him a stiff and reluctant nod. "Promise?"

"Promise."

* * *

**Oh boy Natsu, way to give super confusing/vague answers, dude. XD At least Lucy got some things to put her mind at ease. However, more questions have arisen. She'll definitely have to interrogate him. Go all Erza on him, Lucy. XD**

**Words cannot express how much I love the amazing reviews and whatnot you guys are giving! There were some awesome questions posed in reviews as well, all of which I'm sure Lucy'll be getting answers to sooner or later. Especially loved Pyrinsomniac and AnimexFreakz 0.o's questions/curiosities! And a super big shout-out to rebma726 and iamthewerepire for their reviews that pretty much made me squeal like a crazy four-year-old. In a good way, of course. XD**

**Writing these Natsu and Lucy interactions are so much fun! We'll see some more of it in the next chapter, most likely. :D**

**~Foxtail-chan**


	9. The Business Trip

**Hiya and welcome to chapter nine! :D Sorry for the long wait. I know some of you were asking if I'd ever update lol! Just btw the answer will always be a big yes! I know I have it written at the top of my profile page, but I will finish all stories I've started, no matter how long it takes! :D**

**I've just been sort of arguing with myself about what to include in each chapter, and life is unfortunately a little time-consuming too. It's like it doesn't know I have fanfiction to write or something. Psht. Life. So unaware. XD**

**Anyway, ignore my silly rambles and enjoy! :D**

* * *

_**Chapter 9: The Business Trip**_

As far as sleep went, Lucy was positive she was hardly getting any. At least, way less than she should be. Ever since finding that key on her bed, and visiting Natsu, she'd only gotten one good night's rest. The others? She was either wide awake and staring at the ceiling, or kept in a light and fitful sleep as she had fast-paced and confusing dreams one after another. And honestly, she felt as if the insomnia was catching up to her.

And so when there was a light knock on her door at around six in the morning, she wasn't exactly thrilled. "Go away," she grumbled. "Just five more… hours." Maybe if she stayed in bed long enough her brain would get the message that she'd like to fall sleep for a bit.

"I'm sorry, Miss Lucy, but I really do have to wake you." Virgo opened the door a crack, peering through hesitantly as if she expected Lucy to chuck a shoe at her to get her to leave. Lucy instead pulled the covers over her head.

"Please, I'm so tired," Lucy whined. Stupid Natsu, keeping her up at night talking and then giving her brain so much to think about she couldn't sleep afterwards. He'd pay for this somehow.

Virgo paused. "Are you alright, Miss Lucy? You've been looking rather tired lately…" So Lucy _had_ been right: people were starting to catch on that she wasn't exactly resting well. Ohwell, she could blame it on something else like nightmares if anyone asked –which wasn't exactly untrue- and they would probably nod and give her her space.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she grumbled. "Just… a lot on my mind." She figured she could tell Virgo that much at least. The maid was rather sharp; she'd probably catch on that it had something to do with the key and not ask further. Lucy was right.

Virgo cleared her throat. "Alright, and if it was up to me I'd let you sleep as long as you'd like, but your father wants to see you in his office."

Any remnants of sleepiness that plagued Lucy were immediately thrown out the window. Her eyes shot wide open as she flew up to sit straight in bed. "He what?" she swallowed, staring at Virgo as if she'd just seen a ghost.

The maid blinked, obviously taken by surprise by her reaction. "H-He said he'd like to see you in his office." It was something that normally Lucy would've grumbled at before trudging down the hallway to see what he wanted. But this time…

Oh god he'd found out. She'd dillydallied a little bit the past night in coming up from seeing Natsu. Granted, she hadn't waited _too _long and she hadn't seen or heard her father, but that didn't mean he hadn't seen or heard her. What if he'd found out? What if he'd seen her coming from the greenhouse and knew she'd found out about Natsu? She still didn't know really any of the details of the situation but she still got the feeling that having Jude know she knew… well it just wasn't exactly a good thing. The way Virgo had stressed his secrecy over the keys had really convinced Lucy of that. Well that, and the fact that Natsu seemed tense over how quickly she moved in leaving to avoid Jude.

Oh god he knew. What would he do? Lucy knew her father wasn't exactly violent. He wouldn't lay a hand on her but… she honestly didn't know what he'd do. But by the slowly forming pit in her stomach she knew she didn't exactly want to find out. He could be a terrifying man when he wanted to be. And now that she knew he had some prisoner? It really sent a chill through her veins.

Lucy felt the blood drain from her face and Virgo shuffled inside. "Miss Lucy, are you sure you're alright?" she looked beyond worried.

"Y-yeah," Lucy nodded stiffly. Yes, she was fine. She was overthinking this. He could be calling for any reason… But then again he hardly _ever_ called her to his office, let alone in the morning when he was usually so busy with work he couldn't even take time to eat breakfast. This was something important… He'd definitely found her out.

There was no way she could go and see him. She could fake being sick… or maybe she wouldn't have to fake it as her sinking stomach was already making her rather nauseous.

She heard a light ruffle and spotted Happy slowly crawling out from underneath her bed. He'd spent every single night since they'd met under there. He stretched lazily, yawning and looking up at her with a questioning gaze. He didn't seem worried.

"Miss Lucy?" Virgo grabbed onto her shoulders and shook her lightly.

Lucy slowly tore her eyes from the cat and back to her maid. "Really, I'm fine," she said slowly. If Happy wasn't worried… surely she didn't need to be. She swore that cat picked up on everything, and surely if Jude had found out, there'd be a whole storm of things coming her way, and surely the cat would at least pick up on that. He seemed to be quite in the know.

She took a deep breath and somehow forced her legs to swing over the side of her bed. Yes, she was fine. Assuming things was the absolute worst thing she could do right now. She'd felt so secretive since she'd received the key, as if she was walking on glass that could shatter at any moment. She'd never really kept a secret before in her life, mainly because she hadn't needed to. But surely she wasn't so bad at keeping them that he'd found out just from how she was acting, and hopefully he hadn't seen or heard her step out at night. And even if he did… he loved her. He wouldn't do anything too rash. At least she hoped so, anyway.

She watched as Happy sat down and curled his tail around him, tilting his head as if confused as to why she was so worked up. He'd be there, too. And while yeah he was just a cat, he was somehow slowly bringing her comfort, as if he was her small little security blanket. …Man, she really needed to get it together.

She stood up, glancing back at Virgo with a smile that she hoped didn't look too forced. "Let him know I'll be right there."

Virgo frowned before shaking her head. "I'm worried about you, Miss Lucy." She looked to the doorway before bringing her voice down to a whisper. "I don't know what you found out about that key, but it's really taking a toll on you… at least your sleep, anyway. I really did advise you not to look into it." She tsked and brushed out the wrinkles in her dress. "Just… be careful, okay?"

Lucy's smile turned more genuine. Virgo really did care, which was also a little comforting. "Yeah, I will. And I'm fine, I promise, my head's just a little cluttered is all."

Virgo shrugged, rolling her eyes as if she knew it was more than that, but didn't want to push for answers. "Alright, I'll go tell him." With that she sauntered out, shutting the door with a light click behind her.

Lucy watched the door handle for a moment, her mind traveling back to her conversation with Natsu the past night. Jude hadn't done anything wrong in putting him down there. She needed to remember that. It would put her more at ease when talking to him.

Happy let out a tiny cough again as she halfheartedly grabbed a pair of clothes out of her closet. She looked down to him, pulling a tank top over her head. He looked worried. "Are you worried about me?" she feigned surprise. He'd scratched her, hissed at her, smacked her, and many other kinds of abuse not only when she'd given him his bath but also when she'd tried to go out into the hallway the past week, but now he looked concerned. At least he cared; although she still wasn't sure that he wasn't bipolar. Maybe if he didn't do something crazy in the next few days she'd begin to consider that maybe he wasn't out of his mind.

Happy rolled his eyes before letting out another cough that she took to mean that yes, he was worried about her. Although it'd been sarcastic again, she swore. He had such humanesque facial expressions it was sort of creepy.

"I'm fine," she sighed, pulling on her shorts. "Just worried that Father… y'know… found out I knew about Natsu." She lowered her voice to a whisper. "You wouldn't happen to know if he… did… would you?" God she felt crazy talking to a cat like this.

Happy stared at her for a moment before letting out a small meow. It was the first time he'd ever meowed around her, despite being a cat, and it took her a little by surprise. Part of her had wondered if he'd somehow lost his voice box or something since he just let out little coughs. Apparently not.

She wasn't entirely sure what the meow had meant but as Happy stretched and trotted over to retire underneath her bed again, she figured he'd meant in some weird way not to worry about it. She looked out the window for a moment before rubbing her eyes. Really. She needed to stop talking to this cat like it was going to talk back. She could lose her sanity real quick. Talking to animals was the first stage, right? Thinking they were talking back was the second… right?

Wow, she really needed some sleep.

Her eyes flitted to her bedside table for a moment, where she'd stored the key. She'd grown a little worried about having it around her neck all the time, even if she did have it going down the back of her shirt, so she'd resorted to putting it in her nightstand, buried beneath layers of paper and knickknacks. It wasn't the safest of places, but she figured it was safer than having it on her person, where someone could notice it or it could fall out or swing around to the front at any moment.

Lord help her. Whatever this conversation was going to be about, she hoped it was anything but the key.

It felt oddly reminiscent of the day she'd scrounged around the entire house trying to find the set of keys Jude owned as she climbed steps and weaved down hallways towards her father's study. Of course, she'd actually found the keys there… She wondered if they were still underneath his desk. There was an odd sense of accomplishment in knowing that she had actually found them, although she hoped that he hadn't noticed they were in a different position or angle or something… Surely he would've addressed her about it before now, if so.

She didn't let herself pause in front of the door, knowing that her nerves and her spiraling thoughts would just get the best of her and she'd be a mess when she finally made it inside to talk to him. So instead she turned the handle and barged in without any warning. She knew she was supposed to knock, but she was really afraid she wouldn't have the courage if she even paused for even a moment.

Jude looked vaguely surprised, glancing up from the paper he was scribbling on as she appeared in the doorway. Lucy swallowed, her eyes flickering to anywhere but her father. He was a very intimidating man and he let off a very unapproachable aura. Not to mention that his office was still as dim as ever, and also not very inviting. He really needed to turn on a brighter light; it was like living in a coffin.

He gestured for her to come stand in front of his desk as he quickly capped his pen and straightened the stack of papers.

Lucy was positive she looked strikingly like a robot as she hobbled inside, forcing her legs to move every step. _'__Act normal,' _she kept telling herself. He probably just wanted to talk about… She didn't know what he could possibly want to talk about. Maybe he was going on a business trip or something. She stood straight as a soldier in front of his desk, staring down at him and trying not to let her hands shake.

Her eyes wandered down to his desk. That's where the keys were… just beneath the wooden surface… She swore she could almost feel the box underneath his desk. Her eyes snapped back up to his. _Don't look at them, idiot._ _How suspicious would that be?_

Jude gave her an odd glance before clearing his throat. "Lucy, I have a couple things I'd like to discuss with you."

She gave a stiff nod. There was no way she was going to answer him. She was positive her voice would be so shaky it would give her away. She wasn't as nervous as she had been when Virgo had first entered her room, but her heart was still pounding in anticipation. Seriously, she couldn't think of anything he'd want to talk to her about unless he had found out about her key and Natsu… She gritted her teeth.

Jude's eyebrows pinched and she could tell he felt something was off. However, the good thing about her father's chilly personality was that he didn't ask questions like, "_Are you alright_" or "_What's wrong_".

"Do you remember our trip to Era?"

She was caught off guard, faltering for a minute, squinting her eyes as she began to think. Era? Oh yeah, that's right, she had gone there for a meeting with her father. They'd met with a rather nice man, although she'd been so lost in thought over her key she hadn't heard much –if any- of the meeting. Ooh, she hoped he didn't expect her to remember anything specific. "Yes, I do."

Jude nodded, as if proud she could recall it. "Then you'll also remember there was talk of a trade with Rowan?"

Rowan… oh right, that'd been the man's name. It all came slowly back to her. At the end of the meeting Rowan had asked if the trade was still on and her father had said it was… or maybe it was the other way around. Either way, there had indeed been talk of a trade. She'd asked Jude about it when they'd gotten in the car to return home, but he'd told her she didn't need to worry about it yet. Although, then he'd said something about it keeping her busy or entertained or something… which felt a little ominous. "Y-yes," she said. "Although, I don't believe I was told what the trade entailed."

Jude nodded. "No, I don't believe you were either. Which honestly isn't too important." He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Lucy your studies will be resuming on Monday. I presume you knew that?"

Lucy blinked. Right, her schooling. She'd been so preoccupied with all the clutter involving Natsu and the key it was like she was suddenly living in her own little world. In fact, daily living hadn't even been crossing her mind at all lately. She'd wandered around the house, eaten meals at the table and whatnot, but her mind had been completely elsewhere. It was approaching the second week in August, which was when her studies usually resumed from summer. Normally she would've known that they would start back up on the second week's Monday, but honestly, that'd been the last thing on her mind.

She stiffly nodded. "Y-yeah, I knew that," she said, looking to the side and trying her best not to let out an awkward laugh.

Jude seemed not to notice. "Good, then I must tell you that you'll be joined by two other students this year."

She nearly choked on her tongue. "Wh-what?!" She'd been homeschooled since she was five, and never had there ever been any talk of private schools or any alternative learning. Jude hired what he considered as the best teachers, or rather teach_er_, which Lucy thought was the teacher from hell -although her methods were effective, as she swore she remembered every mundane fact she'd learned since before she was even tall enough to look out the window. Lucy'd just assumed she would continue to be tutored by herself for the remainder of her time. Hell, she figured Jude would probably hire a college professor once she was done with traditional schooling to teach her after that, just to keep her close to the family business.

Jude nodded. "The trade Rowan and I were speaking of involves two of his sons."

Oh dear lord. Lucy tried her best not to roll her eyes. Of course, it was this again. Her father was quite adamant about finding a man that was "too her liking" and also competent enough to take over the Heartfilia business when he retired. Ugh. She'd hoped he would finally let it go for a while.

At least he wasn't forcing her into anything, she guessed. He never told her who he wanted her to marry, or date, or whatever he was hoping for, rather just introduced her and hoped she'd hit it off with whatever boy he'd chosen that time.

It appeared he'd picked up on her exasperation. "Give them a chance, Lucy." He was stern, but not angry. "All they are doing is joining you in your studies. They're your "classmates", if you will. Our trade was simply schooling with you, for a bit of land. But who knows, should you take a liking to one of the boys, they are both quite competent in all areas." She swore she saw his chest puff out in pride as if he was already imagining calling one of those boys his son in law. She somehow suppressed a shiver.

"Yeah, they're just schoolmates," she mumbled. She hated to disappoint him but chances were it'd end up like all the other failed attempts at "finding her a husband" and Jude would be irritated for months. Oy vey.

Jude sighed. "Just give it a chance." He shuffled the papers on his desk before plucking one out and skimming over it. "Their names are Gray and Lyon. The rest I'll let you find out for yourself. They'll be arriving on Monday at eight o'clock sharp, and Aquarius will begin her lesson at eight thirty. While yes, I do wish you to acquaint yourself with these boys, I still want you to take your studies seriously."

"Yes, Father," Lucy sighed. Her straight posture had completely wilted throughout the conversation. At least he seemed not to have found out that she knew about Natsu… which was definitely beyond a relief. Although, this was probably her second least favorite topic. Who knew, maybe Gray and Lyon would be nice and she'd make a couple friends. She hadn't really been introduced to many children her own age throughout the years, after all.

"Also, in around another week or so I'm enlisting another instructor for you, since your… class size is growing." Jude made a face as if he wasn't sure he liked the thought of Lucy being in a class, instead of having one-on-one tutoring. "But you needn't worry about that yet." Jude set down the piece of paper and clasped his hands, looking up to his daughter. "Any questions?"

Lucy was positive she looked like a wilted flower now. Still… it could've been worse. He could've found out about her key. But still… just… ugh. That was all she could manage. It sounded like a lot of work to try and deal with these two new "students" and while she was a little excited by the possibility of a new teacher, taking away time from being instructed by Aquarius, whom she was positive absolutely hated her, it also sounded like a lot of work. A lot of time away from trying to figure out the entire situation with Natsu. Why couldn't summer last forever?

"No, no questions," she sighed.

Jude nodded, looking pleased. "Alright. You are dismissed- Oh, I also meant to tell you that I'll be going out of town for a business trip tomorrow. I'll return Monday night, so I won't be here when you meet Gray and Lyon, but I do hope you'll give them a warm welcome. We want to show them nothing but hospitality in this house." He sounded awfully stern. Jeez, the way he'd said that it was like he expected her to slam the door in their faces or make them sit outside or something.

"Yes, I will." She had to admit her tone had turned a little more chipper at the thought of Jude going out of town over the weekend. Although it'd crossed her mind that he might have been calling her in to let her know he was going out of town, it seemed like a bit of an afterthought after explaining to her what this "trade" had been about. However, this trip might give her some extra time over the weekend to work out some of the Natsu situation.

"Good." Jude nodded to the door and Lucy took her leave.

As she quietly shut the door behind her she let out a sigh, feeling a weight lift from her shoulders. At least he hadn't found out she'd found out about Natsu. She'd said that to herself at least three times since they'd started their conversation, and figured it was what she should focus on. It was the positive in this situation, and looking on the bright side wasn't the worst idea in the world. And who knew, maybe this whole trade thing would work out in her favor. It wouldn't be too bad having someone to talk to, after all… although she'd still much rather just spend her time talking to Natsu.

Her eyes widened at the thought. No, no, no, not talking to Natsu just… thinking about Natsu? Ooh that didn't sound much better. It wasn't that she wanted to talk to him, she just… wanted answers from him. And talking was the only way to get that done.

She pinched the bridge of her nose. Even her thoughts were paranoid. She just wanted more time to sort out the situation. There. That sounded much better.

She leaned her head back against the office door. She'd have less time to think and less time to go down and see Natsu if she wanted any sleep at all once her studies resumed, but she'd still have_some_ time. Plus, she had the weekend, and she also had today. And today she'd ask him about her key, and hopefully get answers.

At least clearer answers than he'd given before. She felt her lips twitch towards a smile of what she could only place as nervous excitement. Right, she'd get some answers about her key; the key she had somehow grown extremely attached to.

She shoved off the door with a newfound pep in her step, despite the tired fog still in her head. Maybe she'd go get some coffee to wake herself up; she did have what promised to be a late night talking to him ahead of her, after all.

* * *

**0=0=0=0=0=0**

* * *

"Hey, welcome back!"

As much as she hated to admit it, going down to see Natsu had felt… normal. It was only her third time descending into the greenhouse and her third time seeing him, and yet honestly, most of her nerves had subsided. Granted, she wasn't quite accustomed completely to… _him_, and his quick greeting had indeed startled her, but it all felt a little… routine. Oh god, was this becoming routine? It was still just all so… weird.

"Thanks?" she replied, flinching again as the doors slammed shut behind her. This time all of the torches survived the gust of wind, and she swore she spotted a smirk on his face as he looked up to one on the wall. Happy trotted over and sat down near Natsu's cell, quickly delving into taking a lengthy bath.

Even the cat had gotten used to this. She'd only gone down _twice _before. Down into the floor of the greenhouse, to a corridor where some boy was being held and enforced by twelve doors that required specific keys to unlock. How on earth was she already getting used to that? As Natsu smiled his toothy and innocent grin again, she began getting her answer. Yes, he sort of freaked her out, especially in his situation, but he was comfortable to talk to.

Man, she really had let down her guard. What was wrong with her?

"I honestly didn't expect you to come down tonight," Natsu piped, sounding excited. "Last time you waited a week."

Lucy frowned, shouldering off her jacket. "That's only because this cat wouldn't let me down here," she spat, jabbing a thumb at Happy. Man, was it warm by Natsu's cell. Maybe the air just didn't get any circulation because of all the doors… but wouldn't that make it colder since it was underground? She immediately pushed the thoughts out of her head. Temperature was definitely the last thing she needed to be putting her mind to. "Speaking of which," Lucy said. "Why wouldn't Happy let me down here? He was really adamant about it too."

Natsu blinked before she presumed he shrugged. "It was probably for the best."

She scoffed. "What's that supposed to mean?" Seriously, did he not understand how to answer a question?

"So last time you said you wanted ta ask me about the key?" He'd completely disregarded her question, and as she puffed out her cheeks in a pout she spotted another smile on his face. Natsu just couldn't answer anything straightforward, could he?

He was just so easy to be around, and she felt herself talking to him as if she'd known him for ages, despite basically having just met. That sense of security had also lured her into pouting a little playfully, just as she would've with any old friend, instead of pushing further for an answer. His entire persona was just so easy to be with.

She was also rather surprised that he was getting right to the questions this time. No real introduction, no "hey how are ya" but straight to the point. Which she was grateful for, but also took her by surprise. He'd had such issues with her questions the last time; it was a little shocking he'd be eager to get to them now.

"Yeah, about the key…" It was definitely the first and main thing she wanted to talk with him about tonight. She hadn't even brought down her journal to prompt her questions. During the day, after her small chat with her father, Lucy had retreated back to her room with a cup of coffee and opened the journal. She'd scribbled down what Natsu had replied with the past night underneath the questions she'd asked. His answers hadn't been what she'd been hoping for, but she figured she should still jot them down nonetheless. They had _some_ meaning, after all and if she could get enough out of him, perhaps she could figure out the situation on her own without him spilling all the beans.

"What about it?" Natsu asked. His eyes tracked her movements like a falcon watching its prey as she removed the key from around her neck. She handled it carefully, staring down at her distorted reflection in the glowing red surface. She slowly lowered herself to sit criss-cross on the stone floor and sighed. "You like it?" he asked when she didn't immediately respond. He sounded worried.

"I love it," she said quietly, looking up to meet his gaze. What she found wasn't the playful look she'd last seen on him. She nearly cowered under the newfound intensity in his eyes. She'd seen them burn before, both times she'd visited him, but this was new entirely.

It was searing as he stared into her eyes, his gaze unwavering as he nodded slowly. "Good, I'm glad." Her hands clutched tightly around the key as her heart flew to her throat. She swore her knees would've buckled had she been standing. There was something so powerful about his eyes, his pupils narrowed to near slits as he stared at her, unblinking. Of all the things she remembered about him, his eyes were easily the thing that stood out the most. They were just so… inhuman, in fact, he himself seemed so inhuman, as if taken right out of another world and plopped into this cell. She wasn't sure what caused the change in his eyes, and honestly, she wasn't entirely sure she wanted to know.

His eyelids fluttered a moment later and he finally blinked. When his eyes opened again they were cheery and sparkling again, yet still the unrelenting pitch black they always were when they talked.

Well, the two times they'd talked. She guessed she couldn't really say "always" about anything about him. She let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding and relaxed her grip on the key. He could make her freeze with just one look… She moved the conversation onward. "So you gave this to me? As a birthday present?" She still found it a little hard to believe, what with him locked up down here…

"Yup," he chirped. "Well, not me personally. I gave it to Happy to give to you."

She stared up at him. Oh, that made a little more sense. Although, she'd never seen the cat before the day she'd taken him in... "How'd he get it in my room?"

Natsu's eyes sparkled. "He's super talented. Y'see you got a gutter pipe that goes down the house right by yer window. He totally climbed it and slipped in through your window. Y'know you really should leave it locked." Natsu's eyebrows pinched as if he were worried.

"I do leave it locked…," she said, her gaze trailing to the side. Had she left it unlocked that day? She often opened her window to let the breeze in, maybe she'd forgotten to lock it back up the night before or something. It wasn't out of the question. And while she was beyond amazed that Happy had managed to climb some drain pipe up two stories, she guessed it wasn't impossible either. She let out a sigh.

There. This whole situation had to be something like that. Where she thought it was impossible for Natsu to give her that key, when in reality there was a good and at least semi-reasonable explanation behind it. She needed to stop overthinking things. Surely whatever… situation… Natsu was in, it was all explainable somehow, and something completely believable and maybe even ordinary… Although ordinary seemed to be pushing it.

She turned the key over in her hands. "Where'd you get it?"

"I made it." Pride laced through his voice and in looking up to him she knew he was sporting a very cocky grin. Hell, if she could see more than just his face she would've sworn he poofed up like a proud peacock.

"You made it," she repeated, sounding skeptical.

"Yup."

He'd made it. Down here. In there where he didn't even appear to have decent clothing. "Really," she said, raising an eyebrow. "How?"

Natsu's entire expression fell and he slouched so far his face went out of view of the slot. "It took… _forever."_ She heard him grunt, followed by a thunk that she took to mean he'd sat down hard on the floor.

"How long is forever?" she asked.

There was a pause and she swore she could hear him whispering numbers to himself before he replied. "Five years."

She choked. "Five years?! You've got to be kidding me!"

"_Hey_," he whined. "It's a nice key, okay?"

"Y-Yeah it's a really nice key but… five years?!" She looked down at it in disbelief. What the hell. He'd worked on this thing for five years? Yes, she could believe that it took that long if he was down here without much… material… to make it out of but goodness, she herself would've given up much sooner than that.

"I had to collect metal scraps little by little y'know." He sounded a little peeved. "I couldn't just get up and go to the store." She rolled her eyes. He obviously thought she was somehow making little of all he'd gone through. And she definitely wasn't doing that… She'd somehow gotten quite fond of the key. In fact, it took a lot more effort than she'd care to admit to put it in the drawer beside her bed when she left to go somewhere. She wanted it around her neck at all times. Because not only was it undoubtedly intriguing and beautiful, but it'd been a present, and apparently a "homemade" one at that.

"Listen, it's absolutely beautiful and I love it and I'm definitely glad you used those five years to make it but… I mean… didn't you think maybe you were wasting your time? Just for a key?" There was an immediate scrambling sound from inside his cell and she scooted backwards a few inches instinctively, her eyes flickering up to the slot as he reappeared. His eyes were once again aflame as his hands flew up to grab the small bars, making a loud and sudden boom.

"Wasting my time? Never." It was quiet as he slowly stared her down, and she sensed that that was one thing she should probably let go. Five years just to make a key as a present? She thought it was wasting time, although it was strikingly clear he felt the exact opposite.

She held up her hands to let him know she believed him and would let it go. It was obviously something he was passionate about. Although why, she wasn't sure. What had he gained from giving it to her? She guessed the key had gotten her down here… although in spending time with him it seemed as if she had more of an agenda than he did. She had questions to ask him, all he wanted to know was her favorite color. He was an odd one, that was for sure.

Her eyebrows pinched and she ran her thumb across the key. "You said scraps of metal? But this looks like… glass." She'd thought it was blown glass when she'd first seen it, and even now she'd still believed it to be true. The way it was so intricately woven and the way the light seemed to dance off of it… it was something only glass could produce.

Natsu nodded, the fire in his eyes dying as the conversation moved on. "Well, I started with scrap metal and sorta welded it together and then…" He stopped short and she leaned forward, waiting for him to go on. He cleared his throat instead. "A craftsman never reveals his secrets. But you could say it's like… metal encased in glass or something." Man, he was even being secretive about how he made the key. Was there any question he could _actually_ answer? She frowned, once again turning the key over in her fingers.

Even if he wouldn't answer about what it was made out of, it didn't take away from the fact that it was still absolutely amazing. Something that sort of tugged at her heartstrings… although she wasn't sure why.

"Hey, so we still have the question for a question deal?" The playfulness was completely imbedded back into his tone. Even when he'd been serious when she'd asked about why he was down in this weird jail cell-like place, he hadn't been as defensive as he was when talking about the key. And his eyes had definitely held something much deeper when she'd said she loved it than with any of her other questions. Maybe it was because he made it. Maybe he felt close to it. But hell, how did he make it so it fit so perfectly in the locks?

Right, a question for a question. She could ask, but his came first. She nodded. "Yeah, sure. Hit me."

"Hmmm." He sounded excited. "Okay, what's your favorite animal?"

"Seriously?!" she nearly whined. First a color and now an animal? What were they? Kindergarteners?

He looked shocked. "B-But I thought that was a good question…" His voice died down and he looked toward the ground. She'd been pouting earlier and he'd smiled, but she'd be dipped if when he was pouting she felt as if she'd just punched an adorable puppy. Guilt and regret coursed through her. Man, just one look and she absolutely caved.

"Um… I don't really know what my favorite animal is." He perked up, another grin stretching across his face as he watched and waited for her answer. She chewed on her tongue, thinking. "Really, I don't know. Maybe… a lion? They're pretty ferocious. Or maybe… I dunno, honestly. I haven't ever really thought about it." She hadn't realized she'd never exactly been asked the questions he was asking her, even as a child, until now. No one had ever asked her favorite animal before, ever, even when she was little. Why was that? She'd always felt a little isolated, but she'd had maids and other help who practically raised her, and all of them had cared immensely about her. Maybe they'd just never thought to ask.

Natsu nodded enthusiastically. "Lions are pretty cool!" Was there anything she could say that he wouldn't get excited over?

"What about you? What's your favorite animal?" Natsu's mouth formed an enthusiastic 'o' before he brought a hand up to scratch his chin. Man, he sure was excitable. It sort of made her want to giggle, but at the same time it made her feel like shaking her head.

That was sort of how her relationship was with him, she guessed. She felt two things for everything he said and did. He smiled that smile and she wanted to feel at home, but she also wanted to feel a little unnerved that it was so easy to be with him. He half answered one of her questions and she was confused, yet frustrated, and also a little… afraid. The way he talked and acted they all contradicted each other. One second he was like a cheerful two-year-old and the next she swore he was a wild animal. Everything about him was just confusing and contradicting. Maybe that's why she felt so mixed up inside when it involved him. Maybe it was truly_him_ that was making her feel so confused, not her own shortcomings in figuring out what she thought of him.

He was unique, she'd give him that.

"I like cats like Happy," he said, nodding. "Ooh wait no, I like salamanders." He nodded again. "Salamanders."

Lucy saw Happy look up at Natsu with what she swore was offense before he turned around and plopped down, his head on his paws as he let out a series of small chattering sounds that she swore was him mumbling angrily. She smirked. So she wasn't the only one this cat gave attitude to.

Salamanders. And odd choice, but she guessed it wasn't too odd for someone to like lizards. People had them as pets, after all. He wasn't the only one in the world who liked them.

"Okay, my turn," she countered and he nodded for her to go on. "How did you make this key so it fit those locks?"

Natsu beamed. "Ooh! I can answer that one!" He seemed thrilled. "I'm assuming you found yer father's keys, right?" She swore she saw him bouncing up and down slightly in excitement as she nodded. "Alright, well those twelve are for the twelve doors, yeah?" She nodded again. "Well that last one, number twelve, the red one that he has that isn't anywhere near as good as mine, works on all the doors." She'd known that; the little slip of paper in with the keys had said key number twelve was universal to all the doors. She had to admit it was a little amusing to watch him so excited over answering a question though, so she didn't tell him that she already knew. "Well, I just copied the design of that key!" She swore she could hear the _'__ta-da'_ he'd probably said in his head as he stopped bouncing, his eyes wide and happy as he waited for her response.

By the look on his face, she would've sworn he'd just told her something that would blow her mind. In all reality… she was a little surprised she hadn't thought of it herself. "Oh, I see, so you took it from him to model it off of, or something?"

Natsu deflated as she didn't seem as excited as he'd undoubtedly hoped she'd be when hearing his answer. However, his cheerful spirit didn't wane. "Yup, pretty much, but without him knowing since making your key was completely secret. Plus, y'know, it's not like he would just give me the keys." He gave a slightly awkward laugh.

She cracked a smile. Yeah, Jude most definitely wouldn't want Natsu getting his hands on those keys. At least, that's what she'd figured, and what Natsu had just confirmed. She really did wonder what on earth had happened that had her father wanting Natsu locked up so badly. "So you're pretty talented then, with welding or however you made it." Of all the questions she wanted to ask, knowing how he'd made the key was really probably down at the bottom in terms of priority. However, she had to admit with him not entirely answering how he made it… she was becoming more and more curious by the second. Plus, welding? The only fire she saw was in the torches on the wall and she seriously doubted he could weld with a torch. Maybe the welding he talked of wasn't the traditional spark-spewing task she'd always heard about.

Natsu shrugged. "Yup, pretty crafty." And without a missed beat or time enough for her to respond, he continued on. "My question!"

She nodded, bringing her knees to her chest and rocking back and forth. "What're you gonna ask this time? My birthday?" It'd been rather sarcastic although he took it as completely serious.

"Ppssht, no," he scoffed. "I gave that to you for your birthday. I know what day it is."

And it was when he made comments like those that the feeling she got from him did a one eighty. She'd been sarcastic and amused, just like she would've been with a good friend, yet that comment… he knew when her birthday was. She had no idea who he was or even what his name was until a week ago and yet he'd known her birthday. Before they'd even met. Not only that, but she inferred that if he'd been working on this key for five years, and it was a present for her, he at least knew of her existence, or who she was, for the past five years.

She clutched her legs tighter and her rocking ceased as she stared wide-eyed at the ground. Yes, it was comments like those that made her heart suddenly pound in what was akin to fear. Maybe he was light-hearted and easy to talk to… but maybe that was all for show. She didn't know anything about him aside from his first name, that he owned a cat, his favorite color and now his favorite animal. He could be anyone. He could be pretending the entire time. Maybe those piercing eyes were the true him that laid behind this façade of a carefree boy. That's right… she didn't know anything about him, or what he wanted, and she shouldn't let her guard down. No matter how much she felt at ease, she needed to remember the situation again.

He was locked up, and it couldn't be for no reason at all. And he knew things about her, stuff that he probably shouldn't have known. They weren't on equal ground. He knew everything about the situation and a lot about her, and she knew nothing. She couldn't forget that.

He said her name, recognizing the change in her, but she didn't answer. "U-um," she stuttered, trying her best to curb her newfound nerves and bring her head back to the current situation. "Y-yeah I guess that was stupid of me to say," she said, forcing a laugh. "Sorry, so what's your question?"

She had to force her eyes to meet his, and what she found was something she hadn't exactly expected, or seen in him before. His entire face had dropped, his eyes deep and sad as he looked down at her. Had he sensed he'd startled her? She didn't take him for the type to quickly pick up on other's emotions or thoughts, especially of someone he didn't really know, but…

"Lucy, I…" He sighed, looking at the ground. "Um… no just… you ask another question." His voice was completely devoid of any life, instead a sinking sadness weaving through his words.

She felt a little bit like she'd punched a puppy again, but this time it was muted by her sudden hesitance. She wished she could find some medium between the two. She didn't want to be all buddy-buddy with him, at least not until she knew what was going on, but she also… she didn't want to be this easily scared by the situation and how much he knew, either. There had to be a reasonable explanation… She didn't know if he was someone she could trust or not, but somewhere in her gut she thought she could. Gut feelings were usually what people were supposed to go on, right? But a gut feeling wasn't enough for something like this. She didn't know whether her life was in danger; she'd never gotten the feeling it was, but sometimes she wondered if she was reading the entire thing wrong.

"A-Are you sure?" she asked, clutching the key in her hand tightly.

"Yeah," he said, nearly inaudible.

The key throbbed in her palm and she quickly uncurled her fingers. It was glowing again, like it had so many times before, pulsing out a warmth that was comforting and yet a little too hot all at the same time. She felt eyes on her and quickly raised her gaze to his. He'd been looking at the ground the last time she'd known, but she found his eyes, watching her intently. He quickly averted them, as if he'd been caught.

Her eyebrows knitted together as the key faded back to its normal swirling red. "Do you make it do that?"

His eyes met with everything but hers. "U-Uhm, I don't know what you're talking about."

She pursed her lips. What a terrible liar. "It is; you're totally making it do that."

"Whaaaat?" He forced a laugh. "Pfft, just, psshht, no."

She felt like laughing herself. He was absolutely the worst liar ever! "How do you make it glow like that? And it's so warm; how do you do that?!" She scrambled to her knees, looking up at him eagerly as a newfound excitement overtook her. She guessed she hadn't ever really taken time to think about why it glowed and pulsed heat… She honestly wasn't sure why she hadn't. It was a key, after all. Keys didn't just _do _things like that. It was so weird and if he was making it act like that… It had to be some sort of magic trick. When he was making it he probably put some sensor in it or something. Still, she was beyond curious.

He looked back to her, a sparkle of amusement dancing across his eyes for a brief second. She hadn't realized it, but within just a few seconds the entire aura of the conversation had changed. She'd been nervous, and a little afraid a second ago but with just a few words… she was about to laugh, and incredibly curious. What was with him? It was a little scary how quickly he could change her mood. Had she not have been so preoccupied about her thoughts of the glowing key, she would've perhaps taken a bit more time to ponder that thought. He could make her swap from one emotion to another faster than anyone else; she was positive of it.

"I'm not making it do "that". What is "that", anyway?" he asked, a smile in his voice. Ooh he was such a liar!

She scrambled to her feet, walking closer to his door without thinking or hesitating and held the key up on eye level. "You know what I'm talking about. You can make it all glowy and warm! You're totally the one making it do that!"

His eyes were practically sparkling the more she talked and the more excited she got. He cocked an eyebrow and leaned his forehead against the door. "I don't know what you're talking about, Lucy. You've gone crazy."

Ooh he was so full of it. She sensed he was tight-lipped about it, and instead of pressing further, she stuck out her tongue at him. "Meanie." He really didn't answer any of her questions, did he? She was just spinning her wheels coming down to see him… not that she exactly regretted it. He was sort of a goofball in some respects, and she sensed he was a little… ditzy in others, maybe… but he sure did hold his secrets tight. She'd loosen him up, though. She was sure of it.

She watched him smirk, his eyes flicking back and forth to both of hers, holding some emotion she couldn't quite place; although, she was still so curious about how the key reacted, she didn't think much of it. She resolved that it had to be something he'd put inside of the key. Definitely.

He heaved a deep sigh and she raised an eyebrow in question. "These little conversations really aren't long enough," he mumbled so quietly she could barely hear. His eyes flickered to the doors behind her. "I think you already know what I'm going to say, but your father will be down here soon so you better be going."

Indeed she'd inferred by his slightly more distant and slightly rushed tone wheat he was going to say. She also heaved a sigh, bending over to pick up her jacket. "You know, he's going out of town tomorrow… does that mean if I come down we can talk all we want?"

Natsu smiled. "So you did already know about that?"

"The trip?" she asked, slipping on her coat. "Of course I did… Why, did you?"

He nodded. "Yup."

Man… word got around fast. Or maybe Jude had just forgotten to tell her until today. "But does that mean we could talk longer?"

His smile grew. "It sure does. I mean, I don't think you could probably be down here all night without someone noticing but… y'know… longer. And I'll take what I can get."

Something about that made her excited, and yet also a little worried. He made it sound as if these conversations were what he was living for. Something in his voice made it sound that way, anyway, especially when he told her to leave every time… She shook her head to clear it. "Alright, then I'll see you tomorrow?" It felt weird setting a date to get together.

He nodded enthusiastically. "You bet."

She gave him a stiff nod. It felt a little weird to just say "_see ya later_" and move on. A lot of things felt weird. Probably because there wasn't etiquette for "meeting the boy your father's holding captive underground". She rolled her eyes at her own thought and tried not to groan. Seriously, what had she gotten herself into?

As she made quick work of unlocking the doors, and they mechanically shuttered upwards, Happy already leading the way, she held onto the key tightly. They'd just sort of been joking around about it… but when it'd turn warm…

She looked over her shoulder. "Listen, whenever _whatever _makes this key grow light and warm… just… thank you. Whenever it's happened, I've really needed it." She thought she'd humor him and his pretending not to know about how the key changed, but she knew. It'd been comforting in a lot of ways, and had brought her peace of mind on more occasion than one. The night when she'd been so confused about it all she was nearly at her wit's end, it'd completely consoled her, and she'd even uttered a "thank you" when it'd calmed her down. Granted, she hadn't exactly aimed that thank you at Natsu, although she guessed that's who deserved the thanks.

He gave her a rather knowing look before nodding once. She felt her heart flutter and a smile grace her features as the key in her hand pulsated heat once again, the shining light it produced barely peeking through her clenched fingers.

And it was times like those when she questioned how she could ever be fearful of him, or the situation, or how much he knew. Because her gut told her he wasn't anything to shy away from, and her head told her to be cautious. But through those moments, she felt her heart slowly siding with her gut, and telling her that maybe he wasn't anything bad, after all.

* * *

**Well there it is! A lot of things are sort of taking shape and Lucy was able to learn a little about her key. Also the trade from chapter two is finally revealed. New classmates for Lucy, a new school year starting, and a business trip that is going to give her more time to talk to Natsu, woot woot. Yes, I feel as if this chapter/Lucy and Natsu's conversation was a little weird, but it was supposed to feel that way. She's trying to figure out exactly what to think of him still (so she's re-hashing her thoughts all the time), so as that transitions, it's bound to feel a little off. But worry not, it won't continue on like that forever! XD**

**Okay, I actually do have a couple sort of important things to say though! :D**

**One- In response to SnaveJ (I would've responded in a PM but I sort of wanted to say this anyway haha) yes, Gray and the other Fairy Tail characters will absolutely be appearing in this! We already have Gray, Lyon, and Aquarius mentioned, but I do plan on having a lot, if not all, of the characters make at least a little appearance eventually! I'm actually really excited for it! :D**

**Two- I'm loving the questions and hypothesis and suggestions for this story! I've gotten a few PMs even suggesting ways this story could go in case I have writer's block! However, I just wanted to put out there that I know exactly where I'm taking this story up until a point quite far in the future. I'm just sort of a slow writer, lol!**

**Three- Seriously. Thank you guys for the aMAZEing reviews and faves/follows and whatnot! I am just blown away by how many people are enjoying my stupid little story! Special shoutout to Akela-Nakamura, iamthewerepire, anime4eva222, Pyrinsomniac, fanficlover2014, and AlchemicGoddess15 whose reviews were just beyond amazing! Seriously, I swear every one makes me squeal like some deranged fangirl. XD**

**And Four- (probably sort of unimportant) I also just wanted to throw out there that I've started another NaLu story called "Up &amp; Down". It's a more traditional AU, so if any of you are just bored out of your gourd and want something to read... I thought I'd put that out there, haha! (shameless self promotion ftw!)**

**OH my gosh sorry for the epically long authors note. They won't be that long from now on I swear! However the chapter lengths are getting longer... and that should be a new norm. **

**Anywho, thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed! :D**

**~Foxtail-chan**


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